Rescue Act Number Seven:
There’s an old phrase suggesting a high level of contentment by finding yourself in ‘seventh heaven’. We would never be immodest enough to claim such lofty outcomes from these blogs. But this is the seventh of our series where we highlight areas through which many company or organisational websites might be improved. A more-effective performance would surely be a happy outcome for any businesses!
Reading a broadsheet newspaper
Even before you start this action, it’s almost certain that, when you picked up and purchased a copy, be it from a rack, box or counter, it was already folded. You may be a regular reader, and therefore this allowed you to identify the title you wanted. If it’s an impulse purchase, then it would likely be a decision reached on what you could see on that top half of the front page. Publishers focus their efforts there, above the fold, seeking to persuade you into making a purchase. Once you start to read, you can open it out and move on through the range of headlines, sub-headlines, photographs, illustrations and content, and then on to the other pages.
How is this pertinent for your website?
At present, you won’t own any mobile or desktop device with an actual screen which folds in half. In the future, who knows, and you certainly wouldn’t bet against it! Yet, to an extent, the same principle applies if you replace thoughts of unfolding with those concerning the action of scrolling down and through web pages and sites.
Therefore, as with a newspaper, you are seeking swift recognition by a consistency of style and appearance. Then, you need to create content which encourages a visitor to remain with you, and for them to be willing to journey on through to the point where they take the action you wish them to.
This encouragement of movement is even more important when you realise that a large proportion of potential customers are likely to be using mobile devices or tablets with substantially smaller screens than traditional desktops or even laptops. Imagine that broadsheet folded again to be pushed through a letterbox!
One final link to a newspaper front page
Another action a publisher will take is to find ways to flag up key content to be found elsewhere in their publication. This encourages engagement, another vital act a website needs to achieve to quickly interest and then hold on to visitors.
How effectively does your website achieve vital engagement?
If you’d appreciate an expert assessment of this key area, our hugely experienced Digital Rescue team are offering an obligation-free mini audit of business websites. This will carefully assess key performance drivers like the ones mentioned in this and the other blogs in this series. blogs.
