TrueInsight Newsletter

Lost in Translation
Breaking Down 5 Common Website Communication Barriers

When it comes to translating your marketing message onto the Web, cutting and pasting your company’s brochure copy simply doesn’t…well…cut it anymore. Today’s online audience is a different breed: they’re hungry for loads of information, but they want it fast and effortlessly. And unlike, say, a 30-second TV spot or a print ad, websites put the customers in control of the content they consume; they can jump from page to page within your site, reading what they want and ignoring what they don’t want, without following any particular narrative arc.

So it goes without saying that many companies, in their reliance on traditional media messaging tactics, often find themselves with website content that confuses visitors rather than communicates with them. Here are five of the most common communication barriers that you should be wary of when creating or evaluating your website content:

Barrier #1: Not enough decision-making details
Don’t be scared of information overload; your visitors want all the information they can get from you. A February 2008 study by research firm Netpop revealed that the Internet is used to research or purchase 73% of products in the U.S. The online research addiction is often even greater overseas. In China, for example, 93% of purchases are researched online first.

If your website doesn’t make your visitors feel that they can make a well-informed decision, they’re going to move on. Take the time to evaluate your target audience’s decision-making process. How educated are they on your industry? Do they tend to come to your site already well-versed or do they need significant explanation? What information would make their decision-making process easier?

Barrier #2: Industry jargon
Imagine that you’re a plumbing business. Sure, you know what you’re talking about when you say “Our plumbing service uses only cross-linked polyethylene piping to prevent creep deformation due to long-term stress exposure and acid and alkali attack,” but odds are your customers have no clue what you just said.

Remember that you are not your target audience. So do yourself and your customers a favor and lose the industry jargon from your website. Explain your organization, products, and services in a way that your target audience can easily understand.

Barrier #3: Promoting features, not benefits
You believe that your company’s products and services are truly special—and it’s natural to want tell everyone just how special they are. But consumers don’t care. They only want to know how you’re going to make their life easier.

Always make sure your content answers the customer’s number one question: “What’s in it for me?” So let’s take our plumbing example again. Rather than stating a feature of your service, like “We use state-of-the-art polyethylene piping that’s designed to withstand the test of time and the elements” try stating the benefit to the customer: “Save yourself the high cost and headaches of unexpected repairs by choosing the plumbing system that’s built to brave anything Mother Nature brings its way.”

(Side note: Barriers 2 and 3 are actually common communication barriers across all marketing mediums. We suggest reviewing all your marketing materials to make sure you're not falling into their traps!)

Barrier #4: Confusing site navigation
Even if you provide all the information a site visitor could possibly want, it’s no good if they can’t find it. Your site navigation must organize your content in a way that’s clean, simple, and intuitive. Visitors should be able to find the information they need in three clicks or less:

Home Page >click 1> Products/Services Overview >click 2> Specific Product/Service Details >click 3> Call to Action

So, if we return to our plumbing service example again, an effective navigation sequence for a prospective commercial plumbing client visiting the site might go like this:

Home Page >click 1> Commercial Services >click 2> Underground Leak and Line Detection >click 3> Schedule an Appointment

Barrier #5: No Consistent Call to Action
This is easily the biggest mistake of them all. In traditional media, the call to action typically appears at the end of your marketing message. But as we mentioned earlier, there is no way to control the narrative arc your website visitors follow. That means you need to give a clear call to action on every page of your site. Feel free to tailor your call to action page-by-page to coincide with each page’s purpose and message. And be sure to give your visitors multiple means of reaching you; your phone number and a link to your Contact Us form (or email address) should be on every page as well.

Learn to correct and avoid these five common website communication barriers and soon you and your customers will be speaking the same language.

Want help with your website content? Let the experts at TruePresence handle it! Contact us to learn more.