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5 focus areas to add instant personality to your website

Think about a time you walked into a store looking for something you want, or need, and in a buying frame of mind. You know you’re in the right place because you immediately see they have what you’re looking for prominently displayed.

You say hello to the shop assistant who greets you with a smile and allows you to peruse the store while warmly instigating a general conversation. You feel welcome, and at ease as the salesperson gently steers the conversation around to your interest in their product.

You quickly develop a rapport, have a laugh, the sales person definitely knows the product well and ensures you leave happy, with a complete solution, and you know where to come for support. The salesperson’s personality made for a satisfying interaction.

People won’t remember what you did, they’ll remember how you made them feel. 

How do people feel when they visit your website? Does your website reflect your personality?

Consider these 5 tips to help you add instant personality to your website.

Website Copy

The copy on your website is the perfect vehicle to express your personality. Take the time to review what’s there and ask yourself; does this reflect my/our personality, does the tone of the communication match who we are, does it engage the reader, does it inspire them to act? Does it actually, and clearly, state what we do?

If it does that’s great, but chances are it needs some work(I know mine does). My strongest recommendation is to hire a copywriter (I am). In terms of conversion it may well be the best investment you can make. A competent copywriter will have the skill to determine your tone of voice and personality, match it with your value proposition, your customers needs and wants, and ensure it’s also search engine friendly.

If you’re doing it yourself, remember, less is more, we tend to skim headlines, and it’s all about words that count, not wordcount.

Design

Take a good look at the design of your website. Does your branding showcase your personality and connect with your audience? Does the layout take your visitor on an enjoyable journey, does it match the tone of voice you used in the copy? Is it clear what you want them to do?

I like to look at how a site flows, how it communicates to your audience, when all the fancy stuff, the things that fly in and out, the animations, all the flashy bits are turned off. In fact, I prefer sites with none of that. 

Remember, simple always wins.

Maybe it’s time to revisit the design of your site? Ask for feedback, find out what your readers and customers are saying.

Your About Page

Have a look at your about page, I’ve written about this before but if there’s any page that presents an opportunity for you to express your personality this is the place to do it. In fact that is the primary purpose of your about page, to establish the know, like, and trust factors.To know your why.

Does your about page express the real you, does it convey your story and make us feel included, do we get to know who you are, what motivates you, and even what you look like?

Customer Support

Excellent support is the propellant of successful brands.

I’ve watched, and used, several brands that established phenomenal brand recognition through having an excellent product backed up by fanatical support only to be acquired by a larger company, or venture capitalists, who immediately cut costs on support only to see the brand fade.

Make sure the person the customer met on your about page is the same one helping them. Solve their problem, don’t make it difficult to get support, don’t make them wait, oh and my personal peeve, don’t insult my intelligence by substituting real human contact with some AI driven bot.

Marketing

The key to marketing is doing some.

When you do market your business it’s often a person’s first contact with you, and what compels them to visit your website. Does your marketing personality match the personality we encounter once they get to your website? Are you communicating in a way that resonates with them, do they feel excited that you’re there to help, or do they feel sold to?

Think about how your personality remains consistent from end to end through your marketing journey, sales, then support.

Above all, be yourself. If you struggle with this, engage someone to help put it together, it could be the best investment you make in getting your website to perform.

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