Does Your B2B Website Flub Its Messaging, or Contain Desert Pages?
I received a newsletter this morning from Diana Huff. In it was a great new article titled, “The Three Biggest Mistakes Companies Make with Regard to B2B Websites.”
If it was any closer of a fit with my new “Clear Content” theme, I’d have to argue with her about authorship!
Two mistakes she calls out are Poor Messaging and Lack of Content. Both of which are superb overarching points about content clarity (especially in B2B).
Take it from one of our industry’s best – flubbed messaging doesn’t help you distinguish yourselves. And a lack of what she calls “bread and butter content” (I often use “main pages” myself) strands your site visitors in a web-based desert.
(The third mistake? Well, you’ll have to go read the article to find out! Click the title above.)
Confusing Content: The Opposite of Clear
If I’m going to blog about what I term, “Clear Content,” then I should define its opposite too. Telling the difference between two sides of a coin is much easier if you know what they look like.
Henceforth I will call the opposite – Confusing Content.
Under this label I include things like:
- Long copy that you get lost (and a headache from) reading.
- Webpages that don’t make sense.
- Websites without any conversion process in place.
- Buzzword-laden BS.
- Content which talks about 3 different subjects at once. Or 4. Or 10.
- Sales-heavy copy.
- Content that wasn’t properly targeted (or targeted at all!).
If Content Isn’t Clear, It’s Confusing
You’ve seen Confusing Content on websites, in white papers, in email newsletters. And you thought something like:
“What’s this about?”
“This doesn’t tell me what I need to know.”
“Gah! Back button!”
Clear Content VS. Confusing Content: DING!
The battle begins next post. More coming soon.
(If a website popped into your head reading this, please leave the URL in the comments. I’m always gathering more examples.)
I’m Turning My Blog Into a “Clear Content How-To”
I’m planning a whole new path for this blog.
Some of you will know that a core tenet of content marketing is “Be a Resource.” Be the site people go to when they have questions.
So that’s what I’ll create. A content resource. A resource on how to write clear content. (Hey, I’m a content creator. It’s what I do.)
Best Practices, Paradigms, Transparency – Where’s My Hammer…
See, I’ve noticed something missing out there.
Lots of people saying we should get rid of the buzzwords. Jargon. Marketing-speak. Whatever it’s called, you know what I’m talking about.
And chances are, you hate it too. (Duct Tape Marketing had a huge conversation about buzzword hatred last month.)
But information on HOW to get rid of it? That’s harder to find.
I looked at that gap, and thought…hey! Niche!
We Humans Want Content. Content That Makes Sense.
So that’s what this blog will become. I will post on ways to avoid loading your website with jargon.
How to weed it out if it’s there.
How to replace it with something people actually WANT to read.
Experiences creating clear content, as opposed to corporate-speak.
Ways to build actual human conversations with your audience (who believe it or not, are humans too).
And so on.
(Don’t worry, I’ll still work in ferret jokes.)
What would you like to see from this “Clear Content” resource? Suggestions (especially specific ones) always appreciated!
Technical Issues–Stand By
Bear with me folks. I upgraded to WordPress 3.1 last night. Which seems to have released several gremlins into my website. I must find them and squish them.
UPDATE: I’ve run into a problem many others have with WordPress: widgets misbehaving and themes not cooperating. I’ll have to remain in “default” modes for a while. Though at this point, switching to a different CMS is beginning to appeal.
