Tag Archives: Simple

When It Comes to Websites, Simple Is Still In

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Thanks to Steve Jobs, Google (and others), simple is here to stay. It may not be easy to accomplish, but I believe it’s worth striving for — in our home lives and our work lives.

Keeping a website simple is a constant challenge. As our businesses grow and mature, it can be so tempting to add another page, another client testimonial, another case study, another accolade, another bullet point to the already too long list of services we provide. Of course, we’re told that the more content, the better — if nothing other than to attract the almighty search engines.

My advice? Don’t do it. Continue to keep your site simple. Your clients will thank you for it. Your authenticity will shine through. Yes, relevance and authenticity still count.

How do you keep your site simple? Here are 7 key tips:

  1. Focus on your most essential product and service offerings. Your site visitor doesn’t need to know everything you’re capable of. When you later connect with that prospective client, you can fill in the blanks, as appropriate.
  2. Reduce the page count. Most visitors need just an overview of who you are and what you provide to decide if they should contact you.
  3. Limit the number of tabs and navigational choices. If we offer visitors too many choices, we paralyze them. I equate this to the cereal aisle in the grocery store — too many choices and, hey, do I really need cereal this visit?
  4. Keep your most important content above the scroll. The majority of site visitors still don’t scroll (at least on desktop devices). Contact info should definitely appear high up on the page.
  5. Choose a palette of 2 or 3 colors. If we use any more than that, we confuse the eye and dilute our brand identity.
  6. Write content for your human audience first. Yes, keywords still matter, but ultimately, once you “get found,” you still need to be able to convince your visitor to buy from you. Keep things relevant and use your authentic voice.
  7. Continue to simplify. Sure, we all need to add content as we grow and evolve, but remember to subtract content that may no longer be important or relevant to your business today.

Don’t we all prefer to do business with people who are authentic and uncomplicated? Your clean and simple website can help you project an image of polished professionalism. Less is definitely more.

by Rebecca Cochran

 

Tunnel Vision Can Be a Good Thing

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Green logo used from 1987-2010, still being us...

Green logo used from 1987-2010, still being used as a secondary logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Rebecca Cochran

OK, it’s confession time. I have been a loyal Starbucks customer for almost twenty years. Nearly every morning, I start my day with a “tall dark roast for here.” I usually enjoy it in a mug on site at whichever Starbucks location is closest to where my work (or weekend fun) takes me on any given day.

I happened to be out-of-town a few days last week and, as I was enjoying my “tall dark roast for here” at an out-of-town Starbucks location, I took some time to ponder as to exactly why I’ve remained a Starbucks customer so long. Surely, my morning “drink” is the most simple of all Starbucks orders. No matter where I am, it’s a “tall dark roast for here.” (Unfortunately, not all Starbucks locations stock “for here” mugs, I’ve discovered.) Despite all the fancy add-ins, add-ons, whips and what-have-you’s, my order is the same every morning – a “tall dark roast for here.”

What got me thinking last week is that Starbucks is a master at providing me a consistent, tall cup of dark roast coffee every morning. I’ve learned to ignore the majority of other Starbucks’ in-store offerings all these years. As a marketing professional myself, I admire Starbucks for being able to consistently cater to my one simple morning need: a “tall dark roast for here.”

I can’t think of any other retailer that has held my attention so consistently for so long. Despite all of Starbucks’ line extensions, prototypes, menu additions and subtractions, hits and misses, I find it very easy to make my way through the retail clutter each morning and order a simple “tall dark roast for here.”

Surely, Starbucks must have many customers just like me – customers who aren’t interested in a fancy brew – just a consistently good cup of coffee. Starbucks should be commended for this accomplishment. The company has never lost sight of its core product: a simple cup of coffee.

What do you think? Do you know of any other product or service provider as consistent as Starbucks is? Is there another product or service to which you’re as fiercely loyal as I am to Starbucks? I’d love to hear from you via the comment area below.

P.S. I am secretly proud that a “tall dark roast for here” is still my morning drink of choice. I enjoy starting the day simply. Bravo, Starbucks!