No one designs a website to deliberately turn off clients, prospects, and
search engines, but all too often that is the end result.

What have they done to turn site visitors off with web design? Here is a
list of the most common mistakes we see.

1. *Confusing Navigation *- Do you make it difficult for people to find
information? Often we see confusing site architecture, or clever page
titles, which don’t mean anything to the average visitor. I made that
mistake on the first roundpeg website. The pages all rhymed: Create,
Generate, Colloaborate.. etc. People left, never knowing that we did
graphic design, brainstorming strategy sessions and team building.

2. *Hard to find contact information* – I read somewhere that the number one reason people come to your website is to find your contact information.

Is your phone number visible on the home page? Is the CONTACT US button easy to find?

3. *Copy that talks about You not Me*. I know it is your website, but before someone cares about your years in business, mission statement, and return policy, they want to know – “Can you solve my problem?”

4. *Technical jargon* – If I knew what HSPF, SEER, AFUE, VSP, SEO … all stood for, would I really need you?

5. *Graduate level text – *This is a hard one for many people to get
over. On the one hand you want to sound smart. On the other hand you want people to actually read your content. Remember even the NY Times is written at an 8th grade level. Why? It is done to make it easy for people to digest the information quickly.

6. *Unreadable text on dark backgrounds – * It may look cool and edgy, but if you want people to be able to read your site, pay attention to readability

7. *Irritating flash animations, auto play videos and audio tracks *-
They are cute, clever and you spent a fortune to create them. But the third or fourth time a visitor comes back, they want to skip past them. And if they are viewing your site on an iPhone, they can’t see them anyway. Also in this category: *popups, pop unders and pop overs,* which block the view of the very information the visitor has come to find.

8. *Slow loading pictures* – Did you forget to convert those high
resolution images to small, quick loading GIFs? By the time the image has loaded your visitor has made a snack, gone for a walk or found someone else to do what you do.

9. *Too much, too much, too much – *Pages with too much text or too many graphics can be a bit overwhelming. Search engines may love the content, but people will be turned off and leave. Don’t be afraid to break the content up with a link to another page. If people don’t follow the link you have not made a compelling case for the follow.

10. *Ugly and outdated design* – Like walking into a dirty restaurant, it is hard to have confidence a company has kept their skills fresh when their site looks like it was designed more than five years ago. Also in this
category, the phrase: “last update” If you are not updating regularly,
don’t admit it on the home page.

Lorraine Ball

How will the brochure be used?

Is it sent as a follow-up to phone inquiries, left behind after a sales call or delivered with a formal proposal?

Are you trying to get more repeat business from customers who already know you? Or is your goal to attract the attention of a new client? Define your objective up front, and then write your copy with that in mind.

Grab Attention with Customer Focused Headlines
One of the most common mistakes companies make is leading with their name.
If you haven’t caught the reader’s attention by speaking to their needs, problems or desires, they won’t care about your name.

Grabbing a customer’s attention often begins by making the reader feel the copy was written specifically for them.  Do this by leading with provocative question or declaration; an appeal to the emotions, needs and wants of your customer; or a benefit-laden statement.

For example:
“Is your new business keeping you up at night?”
“Are you tired of boring workshops?”
Another twist on this approach is to define the audience – “For all small business owners who….” In each case, the reader identifies with the headline and is more likely to continue.

Urgent News
If you have something new, promote it in your headlines. Words such as “Introducing” or “Announcing” or “New” are strong in headline copy.

You can also use your headline to create a sense of urgency. Date oriented terms such as “Beginning” or “On” and price oriented terms such as “Only” or “Reduced By” encourages readers to pay attention.

Long, Relevant Headlines
A headline does not necessarily have to be short. As a matter of fact, a long, well written, interesting headline is perfectly acceptable – if it grabs attention and speaks to the reader.

A terrific example of a long, effective headline was written by advertising expert David Ogilvy. He considers the following to be one of his best headlines:

“At 60 Miles Per Hour The Loudest Noise In The New Rolls Royce Comes From The Electric Clock” It’s long, yet, it holds the attention of the reader because of the dramatic twist. In one line, Ogilvy managed to connect the company name to a clear buyer benefit – Rolls Royce – Quiet Ride!

Leave the Best for Last
Many people will read only your headlines, so it is tempting to lead with your company name. However, if you haven’t captured the reader’s attention, you haven’t earned the right to present your name. Use creative headlines to encourage the reader to find out who you are.

Write Copy for Your Client
I often ask clients – Who is your brochure written for? This is not a trick question.  The answer should roll off your lips instantly: the client! That seems simple, but many companies make a serious error by focusing on their company instead of the needs of potential customers.
Here’s a quick way to check your brochure for the correct focus: Circle every “you” with a red pen and circle every “we” or “I” or mention of your company’s name with a blue pen. There should be a lot more red than blue on your brochure. If not, it is time to revise, revise, revise.

Free Feedback
Interested in a second opinion? Send me a copy of your brochure, and I will give you a few tips on how it can be change or improved.
Send your brochure via fax to 317-569-1389 or via email to info@roundpeg.biz

Lorraine Ball is focused on Small Business. As founder of Roundpeg–Indy’s leading small business marketing firm–Lorraine helps small firms become big firms!

Neither segment was large enough to stand alone, so I spent my time split between both. When someone asked me what I did, I was never quite sure how to respond and often said too much. Networking associates overloaded with T.M.I. (Too Much Information) rarely had a good referral for me. How could they? If I didn’t know what I did or who I wanted to meet, it was unrealistic to expect others to be able to help me. A drastic change was required!

Narrow Your Focus and Create a Plan

And so I made a decision to narrow my focus, targeting small business owners exclusively. This was the segment which had been most productive and I believed if I created an action plan to support the change I would see improved results. I began by evaluating every element of my marketing plan, eliminating elements which no longer fit the overall direction of the business.

My Goal was to become well known and respected in a smaller circle. I wanted to be the go-to person for small business marketing in Indianapolis.

*  I gave up chasing “corporate gigs” and I concentrated on small businesses.

1. I pulled 650 prospects from my database which did not fit my core target. I turned the contacts over to a competitor. (There was no changing direction after that!)
2. I discontinued my corporate eNews and gave up memberships in organizations which were not relevant for my core small business customer.

*   Next I redirected my time and resources to attract the attention of small business owners.

1. Networking venues and groups were selected because they would allow me to spend more time with small business owners.
2. To be seen as a thought leader, I knew I needed to be more then just a member. Since I was being more selective in the events I was attending it was easier to commit to taking on a leadership roles in organizations which served this market.
3. I became a preferred resource for the SBDC and the SBA, offering free or low cost workshops on topics which were relevant to small business owners.
4. I reviewed the articles I had written, and began submitting them to on-line and off line publications with a readership which was comprised primarily of small business owners. I focused on local business publications first.
5. And finally, I revised all our marketing material to support this new focus. We added information and phrases which are relevant to my core customer.

The Result

In two years I have moved from being self-employed to running a business with a team of four employees and two interns. Roundpeg is known for our small business expertise. Many of our current clients and referral sources have no idea we ever worked with larger firms, and they never need to know. Tightening our focus has allowed us to concentrate and grow!

Lorraine Ball is focused on Small Business. As founder of Roundpeg, Indy’s leading small business marketing firm, Lorraine helps small firms become big firms!