Do not design your website without knowing this
What makes
a website good? For most people, it’s the visuals, the aesthetics and the appeal.
Sure those attributes are very important but then there is more to that. I personally
believe that a good website is one that serves customers with value. This means
that if the aesthetics and visuals do not help in serving customers with value then
the website is not a good one. Value in this context, are services, information
or products that your audience find helpful and relevant.
This brings us to one aspect that many business neglect and that poses a big problem in the way they communicate through their website.
Knowing the Audience
This is like the very first thing you have to consider before starting a website project. You need to have a very good understanding of whom you are targeting with your website. Reason being that every individual has he or her challenges they are facing and the content of your website has to be positioned as a potential solution to the challenges they are facing in their lives.
For example Suzan, a 30yo single mom that has 2kids and a day job where she works 8 hours a day earning about $500 a month, what challenges might she have? She might face challenges like: Preparing the kids and taking them to school on time (not going late to work in the process), coming back home to cook dinner, check on the kid’s homework and many other activities. Knowing this kind of person, you can provide various services or products that can help reduce the stress she is going through. For Suzan, websites that will pick her interest are those that position themselves with services, products or information that can help facilitate the management of her home, time and career.
John has a transportation business and he wants to get parents to subscribe to his service, so that he can transport their kids to school in the morning. How can john make his website in a way Suzan will see that it can benefit her and all other women like her? It is by adapting the content in a way that addresses her problems directly. John’s website will use images and possibly videos showing moms ushering their kids in a bus heading for school with caption phrases that goes with it. Something like “Get your kids to school early without reaching late at work”. He will also make his pricing to be affordable for her since he has an idea of how much she earns monthly. If properly structured such the website will grab the attention of Suzan or any other woman facing the same challenges, because she will feel that the services is design to solve a problem she is facing in her daily life
In conclusion, It is worth investing time in
conducting research and interviewing your potential customers to understand
their pain points in order to provide or position your product as a suitable
solution. Design your website in a way that will give your audience a reason to
care.