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We once did a custom web development project for an awesome, passionate and humble client. Maybe a little too humble, though.
The Midwest-based company, which deals in data and analytics, sought to modernize its website and improve the user experience. While we handled most of the workload, the client insisted on handling the new site content.
However, as the project neared completion, something kept bugging us. The site content was just ... dull. Granted, data isn't the sexiest subject matter in the world. The content, of course, was written for a very specific, very nerdy audience.
But there was a certain passion and confidence missing from the content. It read too much like technical documentation and not enough like a sales tool. This was especially problematic because everyone at this company is extremely passionate and confident about the work they do. They are just too humble to brag about it. Maybe it's a Midwest thing.
We decided it was time to inject a little sass. Our team combed through the site content and updated it to reflect the fun, excitement and confidence of the company – right down to the 404 page.
The guiding question we asked during this exercise was, "What's the big idea?" What's the one bold statement only your company can make on every page of your site that's accurate yet mind-blowing? You have seconds to capture a user's attention. I may not even get to the small print. Don't just give me a headline that this page is called "Our Team." Tell me who your team is. If you're the greatest bunch of nunchuck Kung Fu fighters on the planet, I'd sure want to read that first!
The user experience on your site should match your company and your team's personality. That includes the content. It may be tempting to keep content creation in-house during a custom web development project, but the truth is, you may not know what direction the voice, tone and key messaging of your content really needs to follow. Only an experienced content strategy team can work with you to draw out those qualities.
"If you can't be excited or convincing about your product or service, how do you expect your customers to be?" said Integrity Founder and CEO John Simanowitz. "Your content must quickly and boldly tell me why I should care about what you're selling. It sounds simple, but it takes a significant amount of planning and strategizing to be done successfully."
Make sure your next custom web development project comes equipped with a solid content strategy. Contact us to get started.
