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Tell Me What Your Website Does
ou know exactly what your called Bloggs Ltd don't only
organisation does and what place the words, ‘Bloggs Ltd'
your website offers its in the page title as there's
users. This information has plenty of room for more
probably become second nature to information. If Bloggs Ltd sells
you, but first-time visitors to widgets, a good page title might
your site won't know this. As be: ‘Bloggs Ltd - Buy widgets
such, make sure you don't forget online‘.
to tell them what you do.
Note in this example, ‘Buy
As soon as new site visitors widgets online‘ was used to
arrive at your website the first describe what Bloggs Ltd does,
thing they need to know, before and not ‘Widget seller'. When
anything else, is what you do. describing what it is you do be
You can talk all you like about sure to speak the language of
how great you are, but unless you your users, and don't talk from
spell out what you actually do, your point of view. From your
they won't even know what you're point of view you sell widgets,
so great at! This but from their point of view they
oh-so-overlooked yet such basic want to buy widgets online, so do
of information can be bear this in mind when authoring
communicated to your site the page title.
visitors in a number of different
ways: The page title is the first thing
that appears on screen, and
Page title especially on dial-up modems can
be the only thing that displays
Don't just use the page title to for the first 10 seconds or so.
tell me who you are; tell me what For many web users this is the
you do too. If your company is first piece of content they'll
read on your site. it' are slogans by Mastercard and
McDonald's respectively - they
The page title is also very differ from taglines because they
important for search engines, don't describe what the
which place more importance on organisation does.
the page title than any other
on-page element. Descriptive page Taglines are so important because
titles are also essential for no matter on what page site
blind web users utilising screen visitors enter your website,
readers, as it's the first thing they'll always be able to quickly
that gets read aloud to them upon gain an understanding of what
arriving at the page. your organisation and website
offers. This can be especially
Tagline true for site visitors coming
into internal pages from search
A good tagline is one of the most engines - by telling these site
important usability features on visitors what you do through the
any website. A good tagline tagline, they may be more likely
should be explanatory and not to explore your site beyond the
vague, clear and informative and initial page on which they enter.
about four to eight words in
length. A tagline is different to Taglines are also good for search
a company slogan, in that the engine optimisation, as they
former describes what the appear on every page right at the
organisation/website does whereas top of the page, an area on to
the latter is designed to evoke which search engines place
certain feeling or create a importance.
brand.
Main heading
‘Priceless' and ‘I'm loving
The main heading on the homepage applies to every paragraph on the
is one of the first pieces of website). Front-loading means
text web users notice, especially putting the conclusion first,
on clean well laid out websites. followed by the when, what, where
Sticking a ‘Welcome to our and how.
website' may seem to be friendly
and welcoming to you, but to Don't write a story with a start,
task-driven site visitors it middle and conclusion - generally
doesn't help in any way shape or speaking on the web, we scan
form. A quick summary of what you looking for the information that
do and/or what the website we're after so put the conclusion
offers, in just four or five first. This way, site visitors
words can be highly effective can read the conclusion first,
(and very search engine friendly which in this case is what your
too!). organisation actually does. If
they want to know any more, they
Opening paragraph can then continue reading or jump
to another section of the page.
Perhaps the most important place (To see front-loading in action,
on the homepage to tell your site read any newspaper article.)
visitors what you do, the opening
paragraph must be short, succinct Exceptions
and straight-to-the-point. Just
one sentence is enough to put So, does every website need to
across this most basic yet tell users what the organisation
fundamental of information. does in these four different
places? Well, not necessarily. We
When writing this opening all know what Mastercard and
paragraph, remember to front-load McDonalds do, so it could
the content (this rule actually definitely be argued that
websites for household names need Before you can even begin selling
not explicitly say what they do. to them you must tell them what
What these sites should do your organisation and website
instead is tell us what the does. In addition to fulfilling
website offers, and this message site visitors' immediate need
can (and should) be put across in (finding out what you do) you'll
any of the above four ways - how also be boosting your search
else will site visitors quickly engine rankings. If your
be able to find this out? organisation is a household name,
then instead of explaining what
Conclusion you do, it may be wise to tell
site visitors what they can do on
People are going to visit your your website.
site who don't know what you do.
About the Author:
This article was written by Trenton Moss. He's crazy about web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy ( Webcredible - http://www.webcredible.co.uk ) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.
Read more articles by: Trenton Moss
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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