Tha an làrach-lìn Bloated agad a ’dì-cheadachadh stiùirichean

TMI = Cus fiosrachaidh.

Most websites are built with TMI. I'd be willing to bet that there are 5 top locations everyone looks for on a typical website a bharrachd air an duilleag-dhachaigh an-diugh:

1. Fios Page
2. sgioba taic nan custamairean
3. Toraidhean agus Seirbheisean
4. Luchdaich a-nuas (ma bheir thu seachad iad)
5. Ceanglaichean ris na Blogaichean agus Ceanglaichean Meadhanan Sòisealta

I've been working with a couple clients of recent and have been pushing back on the volume of information they have on their websites. Friend and colleague, Kyle Lacy, recently wrote that càileachd, seirbheis agus eòlas does not matter. He's right – especially on a website.

A bheil thu dha-rìribh an dùil gum bi cuideigin a ’sanasachd rudeigin eadar-dhealaichte? Is dòcha “Oh yea, we're experts and do a good job with our customer service… but our quality is a bit lacking. Ready to sign with us?”

I've always described a website as the sign in front of your store. It needs to be well-designed, concise, and directly to the point… letting folks who stop by know what you do. It also needs to be in a great location (SEO), but that's another blog post. If the sign outside your store had 25 columns of all the products and services they offered, would you read through them and go in? Or would you leave?

Chances are, with a very large website, you're disqualifying great leads without ever getting a chance to sell them. If you want to detail your features and offerings, that's a fantastic opportunity for a blog. Otherwise, keep your website (aka websign), clean and to the point. I've never gone to a 100 page website and said, “Wow, this is so thorough and incredibly designed!”. Instead, I probably got lost… didn't find what I was looking for… and left.

Don't believe me?

Gabh a-steach do Web Analytics agus cunnt an àireamh de dhuilleagan leis na tadhalan as motha a tha a ’dèanamh suas 95% den trafaic corporra agad. Is dòcha gum bi iongnadh ort (agus briseadh-dùil leis an obair gu lèir a rinn thu air na duilleagan eile sin). Eadhon am blog seo, le còrr air 2,100 post… tha 10 duilleagan a ’dèanamh suas 95% den trafaic (agus an duilleag conaltraidh is fear dhiubh!). Bu chòir don làrach-lìn agad dealbh nas soilleire a thoirt seachad. Cia mheud de na duilleagan sin aig a bheil ìrean breab 100%? Cia mheud dhiubh nach do thadhail neoni?

My clients understand, and are already benefiting from the strategy. One client now has a customer login with a ton of additional information through a series of menus – but only once the customers log in. The other has a blog where they're going to put all the additional information. The websites they've published are very clear, concise, and friendly to conversions. We are providing enough information for leads to engage further, but not enough to run off others who may be good prospects.

It's a careful balance. You can provide a lot of information on a web page and still convert folks… but I believe the best pages avoid an abundant list of features and specifications. They, instead, provide customer testimonials, benefits and results. Avoid quality, service and expertise. Instead focus on the pain that brought the visitor there and how you've helped others alleviate their pain.