A Handy Cheat Sheet for Better Web Page Content

If you plan on giving your website a responsive (mobile & tablet friendly) makeover, don’t forget that web page content is just as important as aesthetic design and layout. With that being said, this cheat sheet applies for websites that are taken seriously. It’s not worth the effort for a disposable junk site.

Simplicity

Most websites put more effort into simplifying the Home page (AKA ‘landing page’). This might be the only web page that a majority of your visitors actually look at, so it is common to have all substance, contact information, call to action, and any other bits of priority in the right place.

But then, you neglect to do this on every other page. That might be why the Home page is your most popular page, but your “About Us” page doesn’t really get as much action or is losing your audience. Instead, try treating each single web page with the same approach that you give for your landing (Home) page.

Put special attention into the individual calls to action that go on each page, giving thought to why a visitor has chosen to visit that page.

Speaking of simple, do you really still need a contact page?

Bear with me. If getting people to contact you is really a big priority… why should they have to “click here” to do it?! Eliminate the unnecessary step and just embed the contact form at the end of each page in addition.

For more information, call (555) 555-5555 or fill out the following form and somebody will be in touch with you shortly.

Vs.

For more information, please click here to contact us.

Which of the above do you think will have a higher conversion rate? Yes, simplicity is a common theme here. It’s time to cut out the fat.

For so long, misinformed individuals have felt that “content rich” websites mean fulfilling a minimum quota on word count per page. There has never been any credible resource that claims there are any benefits for reaching 500 words on a page for SEO purposes, but even if there were… it’s not the point.

Now that mobile phones and tablets are steadily increasing in use for web browsing while laptop and desktop are decreasing, don’t you think it’s time to cut down on the word count? A quality web page is 100% substance and 0% fluff. Seriously.

No, I’m not saying that you should reduce a 500 word page to 250 words so it is mobile device user friendly. What I’m saying is that you should stop trying to achieve 500 words and let the topic determine when all points have been made clearly and concisely.

Don’t be afraid to paint a picture using a real picture!

A picture is worth a thousand words, and since you don’t really want to use a thousand words… use a picture! Videos, graphics, and infographics can also add real value to a web page when they actually add value. (Just don’t ever have media run on “auto play” when the page loads because this is very annoying!)

Get Your Head Out of Your ***

In gentler terms, stop referring to yourself in the 3rd person. Tone is everything, and you’ll keep visitors engaged longer when you pull them into a conversation. Say “We” instead of “Our”. Say “You” instead of “Our Clients”.

Stop Looking At Competing Websites for Inspiration!

If you’ve got something important to say, say it! If you need to look for a message somewhere else, you’re probably doing the wrong thing.

Aside from the potential for plagiarism, seeking inspiration from relevant (even non competing) websites will never help you stand apart from the crowd. The original is always better anyways.