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Brevity
Posted in: Blog, Web Design by Noel H on August 21, 2009
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the character Polonious is credited with saying, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” This, ironically, came from a character who is known for his long-winded verses and seeming inability to quickly get to the point. Any point!
We’ve all experienced websites like that – full of wisdom and knowledge but they just seem to wind on and on. Leaving you still questioning, what it is they do and how can it fulfill my need? In this age of Twitter (information exchanged in 140 characters or less) it is crucial that your site gets your primary message across just as quickly and effectively.
If brevity is the key to retaining website traffic long enough to get your message across, then clarity has to be a close second.
Think of it this way; if you’re at a party and someone you’ve just met asks, “what do you do?” Which of the following would mostly closely resemble your response:
- We write PHP code for websites hosted on either Linux or Windows servers storing data in MySQL databases. Strictly hard-coding, though, none of that WYSIWYG stuff.
- We provide professional website development services to help small- to mid-size companies get the most out of new media technologies.
The first response works for someone in your field, but to the average person the second answer in more comprehensible. Even if they come away thinking that you’re a “webmaster.”
In order to effectively communicate your message in the few seconds that you typically have on the web, here are some other things to consider:
- Pay attention to and include keywords that will enhance the chances of your site being picked up by search engines.
- Use a descriptive tag line on your website banner.
- Use images and animated graphics that will enhance your message and not distract or overpower it.
- Only use a Flash intro if it is absolutely necessary. It may be entertaining the first time, but repeat visitors will soon grow weary.
- Think of your home page as a portal that draws visitors’ attention to key information and then links them to more details.
- Get to the point quickly, if not sooner. It may even help to use a video to explain your product, business process or service.
- If you have more than one page worth of text, provide a summary of the most crucial information then offer the complete document for download as a PDF.
The End.