Business Web site designers who want to get and keep the attention of Internet surfers need to be straight to the point and keep it simple, said a Web consultant to Anchorage marketers Jan. 13.
People viewing Web sites are scanning for concise information in an informal content - not necessarily looking to buy products or services, said Tony Wright, a founder of Anchorage-based PangoMedia, a Web design and network consulting firm.
Web sites of major Fortune 500 companies and others have gotten more barebones over the past few years, as their Web designers realize that's what it takes, Wright told members of the American Marketing Association at an Anchorage luncheon.
"A Web site isn't like a brochure; it's more like an ATM," Wright said. "Keep your style objective."
Most Internet surfers are scanning, rather than reading every word on the site, looking for information and credibility, he said.
"Use bold words, links, bullet lists, italics, graphics," he said. "Bulleted lists should rule."
Wright urged the marketing association members to be very concise in Web site content, and to avoid long paragraphs.
"Users hate to scroll," he said. "Make your point quickly. Images should relate to the content and be captioned."
Content is also critical in how the Web site is listed in search engine placement, he said. A site that is listed within the first few results of an Internet search will receive more traffic than those buried further down the list.
Word and phrase repetition is good to a degree, as are bold-face words and phrases, and linked words and phrases, he said.
"Google (the search engine) is paying attention to word order, and bold (words) or links means more to Google," he said. "Think what phrases people will be searching for and put them where they are obvious to Google. Talk to friends and business partners and get them to link to (your site)."
Wright encouraged marketers to look at Web applications that would be helpful to their business, including online contact forms, newsletters, account management and project tracking. Communications tools for customers and potential customers should include hours of business and who's who in the company, he said.
For company employees and vendors, Web options might include a Web-based time card system, shared online calendars, a repository of commonly accessed documents and information, and meeting replacement forms, he said. Meeting replacement forms could be used to quickly share information that would otherwise be distributed at a staff meeting, so staff can skip the meeting and turn their energy to other efforts, he said.
