You’ve likely heard the phrase, “put your thinking cap on.”
But to create a website that clearly explains what your small business does and for whom, you should put on your lazy-thinking cap.
In other words, you must get into a lazy frame of mind.
Let’s look at a three reasons why you should do this and three ways how to do it.
Why to do this
It isn’t always counter-intuitive to think like someone who is being lazy. Consider the following points about folks who visit your website.
1. People don’t have a lot of mental energy
You may have heard it put this way: People don’t want to think.
I don’t believe that’s true.
People want to think about stuff they care about, they don’t want to think about stuff you think they should care about.
So, if your site isn’t immediately clear on how you can help solve their problem, they’ll look elsewhere. They aren’t obliged to use their mental energy on you.
2. People have a lot of options
If they can’t find what they need from you quickly and easily, they’ll bounce to another site (this is why analytics tools track a site’s bounce rate).
3. People don’t have a lot of time
You have about 8 seconds or less to capture a new visitor’s attention. Make your words and design count by presenting a clear, easy-to-read message. Grab their attention before they bounce.
How to do it
So, how can you get in this lazy frame of mind? Here are some thoughts.
1. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes
When you visit a new site, do you spend a lot of time and energy determining what the site can do for you? My guess is you don’t.
Why would you, especially if you’re looking for a business who can help solve a problem?
Take this same frame of mind and ask yourself: When I visit my site, is it obvious what problem I solve and for whom? This can help you determine any adjustments you need to make.
2. Step away from your site for at least a full 24-hours
If you’ve just created a website for your small business or recently revamped your messaging, take a step back. It’s easier to find anything you may need to change once you’ve had a chance to be away from it.
3. Look at your site with distractions
If you’re like me, the more distractions you have around, the less mental energy you can devote to one thing. Like reading website content.
So, having disruptive background noise may help you determine if your site is clearly communicating what you want.
Play some dance music in the background. Turn on your TV. If you have kids, look at your website when they’re in the room making noise (if you can do this responsibly).
If your site’s messaging is clear in spite of all the distractions, you’re likely on the right track.
Bottom line: Put yourself in a lazy frame of mind to determine if your website’s messaging is effective. If it is, you’re more likely to hold your audience’s attention. Hold their attention long enough and often enough, and they just might become a customer.
