Useful Websites

If you’re considering “just one word” or “word of the year” for your website this year, one of the most valuable single words for your website could be this one:

useful

A study conducted by Google, TNS, and Ogilvy found that 73% of consumers surveyed ranked “regularly giving me useful information” as the top reason they chose a brand. Another Google study found that 51% of smartphone purchasers chose another brand from  the one they initially planned to buy, simply because the other brand provided more useful information.

Modern consumers do not get inspired by a clever ad and run to the store to let a salesperson sell them an item. They don’t see a nice office and head in to let the receptionist describe the available services.

They look for answers to questions, and most of them look online. If your website Provides useful information that helps prospective clients, patients, and shoppers make their own informed decisions, these empowered consumers will value you. When they’re ready to buy, you will be top of mind for them.

So how do you make sure that your website is useful?

• Provide actual useful information. We have had a lot of clients who have wanted to give their visitors a tease, a hint, a word or two that they hope will pique that visitor’s curiosity and cause them to make a phone call and get into the sales funnel. This doesn’t serve the needs of the modern consumer, and it doesn’t work as digital marketing. Be open and generous with information — give people information that they can use in their decision making and in their lives.
• Make it easy to find information. Say your client wants to know how you can help with bio-waste disposal. Don’t make them click all over your website and then scroll through the FAQ page you hid in the footer links. You’re selling bio-waste disposal? Make it easy to find information about your particular solution. Make it easy for both your human visitors and search engines.
• Think about the context. Who’s looking at your website? Is it a start up CEO who doesn’t know exactly what bio-waste disposal is, but knows she has a problem? Is it a hospital administrator looking for the most cost-effective solution? Is it a student doing research now… who will remember your products and services in five years, when he’s a decision maker? Analytics data can give you insight into who’s visiting, but being conscious of all the possibilities can help you talk to everyone you want to serve.

Useful websites work for visitors and for the companies that maintain them. And it’s definitely all about the content. If you know this is what you need for your digital marketing but you’re not sure how to get there, let us help you. This is what we do. Call Rosie at 479.966.9761.