A Quick Guide to Personalizing your Website
February 01, 2012 at 2:41 PM
"Who are these guys?" It's usually one of the key questions a website visitor will ask themselves. All too often, businesses are afraid to let the character of their organisation come through on their website. This is usually due to companies trying to look bigger than they are. This is often mistakenly seen as a benefit, especially by start-ups, but it comes at the expense of creating trust.
People form a major part of any business. Any effective website should plainly and truly represent those behind the scenes, for the benefit of those enquiring. Some visitors will want to see first-hand who they are dealing with, while others won't care so much, but by personalizing your website you will cast a wider net and cater for both parties, which in turn can greatly increase your website's conversation rate.
So where to begin?
Staff Profiles
Key for personnel in any customer-facing role, individual staff photos literally put a face to a name. When coupled with a short biography, they allow you to effectively market your personnel. An often overlooked benefit is that a good profile will make your staff seem more friendly and professional, and in turn less robotic – an important facet of the trust building exercise.
Team Photo
Similar in purpose to staff profiles, group photos portray cohesion within the company, collectively showing that you are a team.
Copywriting
The way your website's copy is written says a lot about your organisation. Write with flair, and in a way that represents the "vibe" of your company. Think of it as a conversation with your target customer. What's the tone? What words do you use? What's the feeling you're trying to convey?
News/Blog Section
A typical blog differs from a news section only in that it consists of opinionated articles (versus unbiased dispatches) but the two generally have the same purpose – to relay important industry changes, events, and relevant information, whilst creating a sense of community within your target audience.
Contacts Page
The addition of a contacts page is vital for any business wanting to add credibility to their website, as it shows that the company is local, and provides a means of communication if all else fails. Maps are also of value where applicable; cafes, restaurants, mechanics, retail outlets etc.
Hopefully this quick guide has shown you that the personalization of your website doesn't require hours upon end, and can be achieved with a few minutes, and some of outside of the box thinking.
To read more on how "trust" can impact your website, please click here.
