There’s really no perfect time to wrestle with “harsh truths” – SCN Encourager
But at least it’s Friday!
What could top baseball ice cream?
Personally, I’d rather have ice cream than hard truths.
But these hard truths might cause you to assess your website in a different light.
In a good way, of course.
These real-world pokes come from VolumeNine, a Denver based marketing firm dedicated to helping optimize the websites of businesses and non-profits alike.
After conducting hundreds of individual website audits, they believe that the willingness to take an “honest look” is the first step to improving any website.
If this belief doesn’t seem like a harsh truth, that’s because it isn’t one.
Here are VolumeNine’s harsh truths.
#1 Visitors to your website are concerned about one thing – themselves! If you don’t think so, consider how you surf the web. You too, largely pursue only your interests, needs, and wants.
#2 Your website must be highly useful and beneficial to keep readers coming back. That’s highly useful and beneficial for them, not you.
I know this sounds like a simplistic repeat of Harsh Truth #1. But maybe that’s what makes it a harsh truth in the first place.
#3 Just as your website visitors care more and more about themselves, they care less and less about you (your organization). And no list of message points will alter this. Words only go so far. You must be remarkable.
#4 And to throw one more monkey wrench into the works… if you’re going to try being “remarkable,” make sure you’re authentic about it. Today’s generation of parents are skilled and practiced “BS” detectors.
#5 Plan on making your website a one-way street. You must be prepared to GIVE… because today’s website visitors are definitely looking to RECEIVE.
#6 And if you want to inspire people to communicate to others about your organization online, VolumeNine says there are only two ways for you to make this happen. Be super amazing or be super awful.
Ouch.
Why couldn’t that harsh truth had given us a third option?
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