The biggest blunder in marketing

Continuing with the idea from the previous post...

The biggest blunder you could make with your website is to give the wrong first impression.  So, what do people see when they visit your site?  They see design and words.  I covered design in the previous post.  Now, let's look at the content.  Read this next piece with your own content in mind:

The relevance of content.   Your content is where your company can demonstrate its true relevance – or not.  On a website, there are many spots you can place relevant content.  However, you absolutely must understand that people do not read websites in a “Z” pattern.   Many years ago - before websites were invented - research discovered that people would move their eyes in a "Z" pattern.  But, those days were slower, and people read more diligently.  Today's world moves much faster, and people so read as much as they skim (major point there).

Look right here!  Because they’re skimming, their eye follows an “F” or “E” pattern. So, map out an E or F on your page, and place a fat (relevant) subhead right there.  With content in mind, here are a few ways most organizations drop the ball in their digital marketing:

• Websites.  People tend to write their website as though it’s a brochure with long sentences, long paragraphs, and no subheads.  They write for reading, rather than for skimming, often simply placing brochure content on the website.
• Blogs.  They write a blog as though it’s a lofty pontification loaded with personal anecdotes and opinions. 
• Email.  They write email believing that it’s the same as direct mail, and assuming that people want to read it. 

The point is... Web sites and other digital marketing media require a completely different approach and logic.  Think in terms of visual stepping stones.  Give the “reader” something to look at, like a series of subheads, that guide the eye to points of relevance in descending order.