Hi Jennifer,

You know a website is essential to any organization ... because today people start online when they're looking for goods and services. 

Yet many people find it tough to figure out what to put on their site. They're frustrated and confused. They look for the lowest cost way to build a site. Or they ignore their site, never update it, because they don't want to deal with it.

Got it. This will help.

Here are three (we have more, but we're just sharing these three for now) secrets to turn your website into a marketing machine, to keep the right people clicking on more pages.

1. "What's in it for me?" (AUDIENCES)

Two choices when someone lands on your site ... does this deliver what I'm looking for? Or not? 

If your website doesn't immediately answer "what's in it for me?" to the visitor, you're toast.

At a glance, who are you? What do you offer that the visitor wants? What's compelling enough to pull them in further?

2. Tell me more (CONTENT)

Once you've grabbed a visitor, where do they go next? We advocate a long home page to scroll through multiple levels of information. It eliminates searching through menus ... few people have that kind of patience any more.

Blend brief, direct copy with pictures to quickly tell your story. Group or categorize information based on different interests, categories or outcomes. Make information easy to scan, interesting and specific. Write for your reader. Write to be understood.

3. Wow, looks great! (DESIGN)

Of course your website is built to be mobile friendly, right? (Test it with Google here.) That's essential.

Now, how does it look? Attractive or generic? Easy to read or packed with tiny type and long paragraphs? Do the photos add meaning and authenticity or are they generic stock images? And PLEASE, no black background with lots of white text.

You don't need whiz bang effects. You do need to connect with what your audiences care about, what you can do for them. 

BONUS ... what's your call to action?

Ensure your home page (and every page) include a link, button or other specific call to action. What do you want the visitor to do? Help them move through your site and respond. Don't dead-end them on a page.

More on our blog ...

Each link in this e-newsletter connects to a blog post for a more in-depth review. I hope you find them useful.

If it's time to rethink your website, talk to us. The websites we design and write are targeted to your audiences. Content is optimized to be found, layout and copy draw visitors in.

Or start the process with the worksheet below. A quick review of 8 mistakes to avoid when you're redesigning your website. 

More questions? Need some feedback? I'm happy to chat. Today your website is vital to the success of your marketing. And marketing is what we do. Really well.