The art of communication is something each of us tries to master every day when dealing with our customers, our vendors, our staff and our family. Some are better than others at getting their point across clearly and coherently. A wise man recently told me something that rings true and I have found helpful in not only my day-to day communications but also in website development.
He said when getting ready to say or convey something you should ask yourself three questions: First, is what you are about to say Kind? Second, is what you are about to say True? And finally is what you are about to say Necessary? When you are designing your website for the first time or updating it, you should keep these three questions in mind to come up with a website that does what it is supposed to do. That is sell you, sell your business and sell your product.
The first question seems like a no brainer but is often the most overlooked. How many times has someone said something to you that you feel was not called for? I know that sometimes I have said things that I regretted later. If everyone would just stop and ask themselves if what they were about to say was kind the world would be a better place. When it comes to developing or updating your site it is important to say every kind thing you can about yourself your business and your product. If you don’t, who will?
The second question should be as obvious as the nose on your face. Advertising laws permit us from saying things that are not true or even stretch the truth. Full disclosure is not only a legal requirement but also a moral obligation. You would not want to make any claims that you could not live up to because your customer will hold your feet to the fire when the time comes. When managing your website or any other advertising you use stick to the facts and remember the truth will always set you free.
From time to time I have a website customer come to me asking for ‘something that flashes’ or ‘something that moves’ on their Home Page. This is often times an easy request and is definitely something we can do for them. Often I would like to remind them that their website was designed to sell cars not to entertain. When we develop a site for a new client, we do not recreate their advertising wheel. Whether you know it or not you began creating your business image even before you opened the doors. When we begin working on a new site we spend almost two weeks gathering all the information about your business image and simply transfer what you have designed to the web. We get letterheads, photos of the signs and building, copies of other advertising media you already use and get from all of these things the necessary pieces needed to put your website together. Stars that shoot across the screen or animated images of cars racing from side to side are not things that are considered necessary and often detract from the message you are trying to portray.
It is said that Ernest Hemingway would draft a novel and in his first review would try to eliminate as much as 40% of the words. What he had left was a story that conveyed his message in as few words as possible. I have read works from other authors that seemed like they had done the exact opposite. When reviewing your website and other forms of advertising look for ways to trim the fat. If it is not necessary, eliminate it.
Updating your website is something that should be done on a regular basis. The only thing constant in our business is change and over a period of time the little changes add up to an entirely new approach. If you keep your website updated the customers that visit your site will be getting the message they need to be getting. Remember to ask yourself if what your site is saying is kind, true and necessary and you cannot go wrong!