There are many important components to a successful business website. It should be easy to look and aesthetically appealing to your audience, fitting the vibe of your industry. It should be easy to navigate. The images, graphics, and color schemes should all consistently point to your brand and the message you want your brand to share.
But just as important as all of these elements are the written words on your pages. What kind of descriptive story does your website share with visitors?
Some may say that while content may be king as far as blogging and social media, the trend is that images on a website are having a bigger impact on user experience than any of the text. Sure, our eyes may first jump to the stunning picture of your product or the unique graphics in your logo. They may catch our attention first and pull us into the rest of the site.
But after the images say all that they can in their own wordless way, that’s when we, as intrigued visitors window-shopping on the web–still needing a reason to stick around–want to read more about you.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but they can’t tell us everything.
This is where compelling content takes over the show. This is when your website becomes a platform to weave your story throughout it’s pages.
Begin with your homepage. Invite us into your world by not only telling us who you are, but sharing a bit of yourself in the process. You are obviously excited about your business. Convey that enthusiasm and passion in your content til it bubbles over and excites your potential customer as well.
Carry the story over to your page that tells us even more about your company. What kinds of values are most important to you? We should know if you are family-oriented, or if you place a great deal on healthy work ethic. Why do you do the things you do? Use the power of words to create and maintain the “voice” of your company.
Continue this story even in your brief descriptions, even to your contact page. Use vivid vocabulary and specific word choice, but don’t get flowery if that’s not your style. Be genuine. Stay true to the basis of your business.
It goes without saying that written content that conveys passion and personality and heart is important in any industry, for businesses of any size.
But to the small business owner, I say this: it is your chance to shine. Use the power of words to make your unique-to-you vision and products stand out among the sea of business models competing for the same customers.
So tell your story. Be honest, personal, relatable. Don’t conform to the mold of typical content. Instead, let your voice be heard, and craft a compelling story that invites people to be a part of what you are.
