Time to Simplify Your Content

These days it seems to be all about more, more, more. But in reality, less is actually more. We all go through spring cleaning to declutter and get rid of what we don’t need. The same goes at the end of the year. We take stock of all the junk we’ve accumulated and decide what can go in the trash, what can be given away, and what absolutely needs to be saved. This is done in our personal lives as well as our businesses. It’s time to streamline our lives and make life simple. 

You may be surprised, but this is actually hard for marketers to understand. They think the more blog posts, media feeds, and interactive media put online, the better. But the opposite it true. Users are getting bombarded with too much information and become disinterested in what you have to say. This lowers engagement rates and clogs up your website. It’s time to pause and actually consider what is important that you want to convey to your users. What makes your brand unique and different from your competitors? What crucial content do you want to share with your users without overwhelming them. It’s time to create a strategy to share your brand’s unique story and keep customer engagement and retention. 

What Makes Your Brand Different? 

You first need to sit down and think about what makes your brand different from your competitors. This isn’t your chance to come up with 50 unique qualities that you want to share with customers. We are talking about coming up with 1-3 differentiators that make you completely unique from your competition. This is where you want to focus your content - at the core of your brand and business identity. 

What’s Your Story? 

You may have heard that your website is like a business card. It is a quick and clean look at what your business is all about. And it has to make a good first impression. This is very true. Your website tells the story of your business. Your homepage is your table of contents - highlighting what can be found on the interior pages. This is where it counts to make a good impression and keep your pages clutter free. Keep in mind you need a clean navigation bar and clear, concise descriptions. Each page should have enough content to keep interest, but without confusing the user or overwhelming them with useless information. Remember, this is where you need to focus your core differentiators. 

Use Proof to Backup Your Story

Your website should tell a story, but remember, users don’t simply want to read what a brand has to say about itself. They want proof. Backing up what you have to say for yourself with some data is incredibly impactful. It will give you more authority and users will trust your brand. This form of proof can come as data and statistics, visuals, or testimonials. Remember, all content should be relevant to your story and provide value to your users. Be selective in your content and what you post. 

Be Simple

This is where the real work comes in. Once you have established the content that you need to make an impactful website, it’s time to go over it with a fine toothed comb and reduce it down to the essentials. Every single page of your website should be important and relevant. Users should be able to scan your headlines and get the gist of what your page is about. Summaries should be no longer than 2-3 sentences. And each page should have a clear takeaway - any content that is superfluous should be removed. 

Simplifying your content and website can be difficult, but definitely possible. Think like your users. How would they navigate your site? What kind of information would be important to them? This will help you create content that is relevant and include resources and tools that they are looking for.