Keep it short and simple

Being new to Fargo, I’ve been surfing through a lot of locally-owned websites. I don’t know if these businesses are trying to be modest, or simply didn’t know what to say on their sites. For the most part, those sites leave me wanting more. I want to know more about what these businesses offer, what they sell, when they’re open, etc.

Typically in the world of websites, that’s not the case. It is much more common to find websites with way too much content. In other parts of the country, small-business websites tend to have so much information, it is difficult for visitors to wade through it all.

But if you’re one of those Fargo businesses lacking content on your website, here are some tips for when you do decide to add more.

Brevity is one of my favorite words in the English language. It means “expressing much in few words.” It refers to writing or speech that is concise and succinct. It is not wordy or lengthy. It is short and to the point.

Using brevity is important when writing for the web. When a potential customer visits your site, you only have a few moments to hold their attention. While some business owners think the only way to attract and hold attention is through bright and shiny bells and whistles, many visitors are simply looking for boilerplate information about your business’ products and services. When they don’t find that basic info, they tend to move on.

That’s why it’s important to start with your most important information, and to not waste your visitors’ time with a bunch of marketing sales talk. This is your chance to inform your audience about what you do, what makes you different from the competition and how you can help customers.

To sum up:

• Keep it short and simple
• Don’t load your page down with marketing double talk
• Make sure your content is easy to read and understand
• Use lists to make your content easier to scan
• Be direct and upbeat

Personally, I can’t wait for Fargo businesses to add more content to their sites and when they finally do, I hope they follow these basic rules.