I remember my first date like it was yesterday...
It was with this guy a couple years older than me. We would flirt in the school hallways and AOL instant message at night. Yep, this was back in the day when AOL messenger was still a thing.
At some point during one of our nightly chat sessions, he randomly typed, "want to meet me at Sonic tomorrow night?"
Sounds romantic, right?
[To be fair, our teenage date night funds were low. So, Sonic it was!]
I agreed to meet him. So, I spent the next day alternating between a state of pure joy and sheer panic. What should I wear? How should I style my hair? Natural curly or curling iron curly? Does this match? Do I smell weird?
It took me a solid 3 hours to get ready. Fifteen outfit changes later, and I was on my way to Sonic. If I'm being honest, I was feeling myself and couldn't wait to show off for my date. But, making myself look good was only half the battle of winning his heart.
As I whip my car in a parking spot…SKREEEEEECK. I pulled up too far and scraped the underside of my front bumper. To make matters worse, my date was sitting outside and saw the whole thing.
I get out of the car very slowly and walk over to him. Neither of us mentions my terrible driving or parking. We order some ice cream and embarrassing moment number 2 happens...
As soon as I take a bite, the cup falls from my hands. Ice cream splatters all over both our shoes. As you can imagine, my face is a beautiful shade of maroon at this point.
Good news for me, this guy is a gentleman. He grabs some napkins, cleans both our feet, and we have an uneventful night after that.
That was the last date we ever went on. Big shocker, right?
I got so caught up in the way I looked for the date that I didn't realize I could possibly drive him away with my actions.
What does any of this have to do with websites?
Well....your website could be sending your potential clients away faster than my date that night at Sonic.
Are you so caught up in the design and look of your site that you haven't given a second thought to the message?
Now, I'm not here to debate which is better, copy or design. They both go hand-in-hand, and you need both to make your website worthwhile. But, you need good copy on your website if you want it to attract the right clients and sell your services or products.
And, you need that copy BEFORE you even think about design.
Your clients aren't on your website to see a beautiful design [unless you're a web designer]. They want to know how you can help them, who you are, and where they can get in touch with you.
Narrow down your tone-of-voice so that every page of your website will be consistent. Inconsistency leads to confusion. If your potential clients are confused about your message, they won't stick around to figure it out.
Your website copy should be clear and concise. You want your clients to know exactly what you'll help them achieve and who you work with. This will drive away all those people who aren't a good fit for you. And, attract those who are.
Want to sell your products and services on your website? Then, you'll need compelling calls-to-action to help make that possible.
If you want your website visitors to feel connected to you and your business, you want to make the message all about them. And, less about you. [You should want them to feel connected to you because that's what motivates someone to buy].
The words on your website are powerful.
The words on your website are what convinces someone to buy from you.
So, start with understanding your message first. Then move on to a web or graphic designer who can make those words look beautiful on the page.
Which comes first, the website copy, or the website design? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.