A lot of websites are muddy.
You recall what happens when you or your kids play with watercolors and mix green, blue, red and yellow together on the paper? A muddy brown occurs, that is neither transparent nor attractive.
I discovered that my own website was muddy. I knew what I wanted to address and how I want to help companies serve their customers better, but my message was weak.
I was trying to do too many things at once.
In an attempt to reach my desired audience as well as maintain my current clients, I was turning into a muddy writer. Muddy writing is the result of a business or entrepreneur throwing multiple topics into the same pool.
A business loses the effectiveness of their online presence when their message is weak. When this happens it affects the strength of the entire website, the company loses its edge, credibility and worst of all- the audience.
How does a website get muddy?
First, a website gets muddy when too many ideas and topics are being addressed at the same time.
If the company markets primarily to women who: a) have extremely limited time to cook but b) want to eat healthy whole-food meals, the entire focus of the website should center around this theme. The recipes should be basic and simple containing ingredients already in most people's homes. New ingredients, seasonings and cooking methods should be introduced slowly. An emphasis should be placed on efficiency and tips to help women decrease their cooking time and still make healthy, homemade meals. The blog, social media and e-newsletter should be filled with tips and hints to make women better cooks without spending multiple hours in the kitchen. Giveaways and promotions should also be centered on this theme.
The second way a website gets muddy is content that focuses on the business instead of the customer.
Sometimes we get so excited about our own products and services that we go on a roll with promoting ourselves. Self-promotion is o.k. and necessary to grow our businesses. But too much self-promotion is a turn off to people. After all, the main reason people go online is for information. Your customers don't want to be sold. They will buy if you persuade them your product and service is custom fit to their needs. But that won't happen if you aren't listening. This point brings us to the last major reason a website gets muddy.
The last major reason a website loses its edge is when the company fails to listen to their customers.
This lack of authentic engagement is the death of businesses and companies today. In a world where your platform is key to your success in your business, there is no greater turn off than a company who is out of tune with their customers.
Seth Godin was right when he discussed the importance of the "tribe." If your tribe has moved away to find new leaders to follow, your business is in trouble.
How can a company avoid a muddy website?
Michael Masterson, copywriter, entrepreneur and author shares about a time when he received a breakthrough in his writing. He began to write each article, each e-newsletter, and each book with a single idea. If a new idea came to him, he wrote it down and elaborated on it in its own article. As a result, his writing became focused and his readership increased.
Your website should have the same approach. The blog topics should follow this rule. E-newsletters, videos, social media comments and your direct mail should follow this concept.
How can you evaluate your website? Follow these guidelines:
· Does your blog follow a common theme? Blog posts may hit a number of topics but they should relate to the same theme. (Themes include baking, working as a chef, teaching others how to cook, gluten-free meals, cooking quick and healthy; specialty diets, personal chefs, cooking on a budget, etc).
· Is the "voice" the same throughout?
· What would draw in your ideal client to visit and click around on your site? Can she figure out what you are about in 10 seconds or less?
· Do your social media interactions reflect the theme and goals of the business? Do you interact with other people on the social media world?
· Do special reports, products, advertisements, etc. match the theme of the company? If you blog to professional chefs make sure any advertising on the website is also aimed at them, not to someone trying to make a meal on a budget in thirty minutes.
Exercise: Ask three people whose advice you trust to evaluate your website by the above criteria. Their cumulative responses will give you an idea of the effectiveness and focus of your website.
Dorie Greenspan's website centers entirely on her personal brand- a cookbook author who writes, cooks and lives part time in the United States and part time in France. She attracts people who love to bake, love France and enjoy learning how to cook French food. She holds a weekly online baking discussion and challenge from her cookbooks. Advertisements on the website are relevant the products she uses. Her blog reflects her brand interests- cooking and baking with an emphasis on French food. It is a congruent website that reflects Dorie's brand and the people who follow her.
Look at the websites of people and companies you admire: Dorie Greenspan, Cooking Light, Seth Godin, and Martha Stewart. These are all big name brands and people with a common theme: their message is congruent with their marketing and brand.
You recall what happens when you or your kids play with watercolors and mix green, blue, red and yellow together on the paper? A muddy brown occurs, that is neither transparent nor attractive.
I discovered that my own website was muddy. I knew what I wanted to address and how I want to help companies serve their customers better, but my message was weak.
I was trying to do too many things at once.
In an attempt to reach my desired audience as well as maintain my current clients, I was turning into a muddy writer. Muddy writing is the result of a business or entrepreneur throwing multiple topics into the same pool.
A business loses the effectiveness of their online presence when their message is weak. When this happens it affects the strength of the entire website, the company loses its edge, credibility and worst of all- the audience.
How does a website get muddy?
First, a website gets muddy when too many ideas and topics are being addressed at the same time.
If the company markets primarily to women who: a) have extremely limited time to cook but b) want to eat healthy whole-food meals, the entire focus of the website should center around this theme. The recipes should be basic and simple containing ingredients already in most people's homes. New ingredients, seasonings and cooking methods should be introduced slowly. An emphasis should be placed on efficiency and tips to help women decrease their cooking time and still make healthy, homemade meals. The blog, social media and e-newsletter should be filled with tips and hints to make women better cooks without spending multiple hours in the kitchen. Giveaways and promotions should also be centered on this theme.
The second way a website gets muddy is content that focuses on the business instead of the customer.
Sometimes we get so excited about our own products and services that we go on a roll with promoting ourselves. Self-promotion is o.k. and necessary to grow our businesses. But too much self-promotion is a turn off to people. After all, the main reason people go online is for information. Your customers don't want to be sold. They will buy if you persuade them your product and service is custom fit to their needs. But that won't happen if you aren't listening. This point brings us to the last major reason a website gets muddy.
The last major reason a website loses its edge is when the company fails to listen to their customers.
This lack of authentic engagement is the death of businesses and companies today. In a world where your platform is key to your success in your business, there is no greater turn off than a company who is out of tune with their customers.
Seth Godin was right when he discussed the importance of the "tribe." If your tribe has moved away to find new leaders to follow, your business is in trouble.
How can a company avoid a muddy website?
Michael Masterson, copywriter, entrepreneur and author shares about a time when he received a breakthrough in his writing. He began to write each article, each e-newsletter, and each book with a single idea. If a new idea came to him, he wrote it down and elaborated on it in its own article. As a result, his writing became focused and his readership increased.
Your website should have the same approach. The blog topics should follow this rule. E-newsletters, videos, social media comments and your direct mail should follow this concept.
How can you evaluate your website? Follow these guidelines:
· Does your blog follow a common theme? Blog posts may hit a number of topics but they should relate to the same theme. (Themes include baking, working as a chef, teaching others how to cook, gluten-free meals, cooking quick and healthy; specialty diets, personal chefs, cooking on a budget, etc).
· Is the "voice" the same throughout?
· What would draw in your ideal client to visit and click around on your site? Can she figure out what you are about in 10 seconds or less?
· Do your social media interactions reflect the theme and goals of the business? Do you interact with other people on the social media world?
· Do special reports, products, advertisements, etc. match the theme of the company? If you blog to professional chefs make sure any advertising on the website is also aimed at them, not to someone trying to make a meal on a budget in thirty minutes.
Exercise: Ask three people whose advice you trust to evaluate your website by the above criteria. Their cumulative responses will give you an idea of the effectiveness and focus of your website.
Dorie Greenspan's website centers entirely on her personal brand- a cookbook author who writes, cooks and lives part time in the United States and part time in France. She attracts people who love to bake, love France and enjoy learning how to cook French food. She holds a weekly online baking discussion and challenge from her cookbooks. Advertisements on the website are relevant the products she uses. Her blog reflects her brand interests- cooking and baking with an emphasis on French food. It is a congruent website that reflects Dorie's brand and the people who follow her.
Look at the websites of people and companies you admire: Dorie Greenspan, Cooking Light, Seth Godin, and Martha Stewart. These are all big name brands and people with a common theme: their message is congruent with their marketing and brand.
Melissa AuClair is a freelance writer and entrepreneur. She helps
companies who serve the home cook market their services and products
online. She believes the best thing companies do to promote themselves
is to build enthusiastic relationships with home chefs. She can be found
online at http://www.melissaauclair.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_L_AuClair
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