No, I'm not talking about someone who doesn't speak English.
I'm talking about the actual communication that goes on between your Web site
visitor and your Web site content. Sometimes the communication breaks down and
your message is not understood. I'd call that an Internet language barrier.
Take a look at your Web site; are you unwittingly putting up
a language barrier? Here are some "red flags" that you might be creating a
communication breakdown:
1) Your Web site uses "jargon" or technical terms that
your audience doesn’t understand.
Who is your target audience? Are they familiar with the
terms in your industry? If the answer is no, then you need to make sure you
eliminate all jargon or technical terms from your Web site.
Effective communication occurs when the reader can easily
understand the words of the message. Engineers can talk to engineers, but when
engineers try to talk to consumers there is often a problem. The message
becomes unclear.
Right now I'm working on a Web site for a medical device
company and most of the content was written by engineers. However, it's not
just engineers who visit the Web site. The company realized they needed to
rewrite the content so that it can speak in a non-technical way that is less
dry and more conversational.
By doing this, the company is tearing down the language
barrier and creating a site that is friendly and welcoming to all prospective
customers.
2) Your Web site doesn't provide enough information for
the reader to make an informed decision.
Before you put your message together, take the time to
analyze your audience and think about what they know and don't know. How
educated is your audience? Do they need more explanation or do they already
have the information they need to make a decision? What information would make
it easier for them to make a decision?
Quite often people are ready to buy when they come to a Web
site, but they want all the information they can get to make sure they are not
making a mistake. Internet shoppers are informed shoppers. They tend to do
research before they make a purchase. If you provide them with the information
they need, they will be more likely to buy from you. After all, if they don’t
have to go to another site to find more information, it’s easier to make the
purchase on the site they are on: your site.
3) Your Web site's navigation makes it difficult for
visitors to get to your product.
You need to use a combination of good writing and graphic
layout that gently moves the reader through your content and to the eventual
sales page. Don't make the reader search page after page for the product or
piece of information they need to close the sale. Remember the 3-click rule;
don’t make them click more than 3 times to make the sale.
Make sure it is easy to find your product by using text
links and graphic highlighting. Don’' bury your product in a long paragraph or
hide it in a list. Let your product stand out and make it easy for the visitor
to make a purchase.
I like to include multiple ways to click to my sales page.
For instance, I put a text link in the content description and I make the
graphic of my product a text link.
Your goal should be to make it easy for your visitor to
understand your message and easy for them to make a purchase. Take away the
language barrier on your Web site and you are on your way to huge Internet
success!
Michelle Howe, MBA, president of Internet Word Magic, specializes in writing
irresistible copy for websites. Transform the way you do business. Visit her
website at
http://www.InternetWordMagic.com for a FR^EE chapter download of her new
book "Turn Browsers into Buyers".
Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2008-01-02 14:18:00 in Computer Articles
