In this blog, we’ll go over five common content mistakes that might negatively affect your website. We’ll start by highlighting the reasons people make these mistakes. Then, we’ll discuss what you can do instead. Finally, we’ll offer action items to solve each mistake to help ensure your website engages visitors, provides value, and fosters trust.

People often neglect the importance of visual hierarchy, leading to cluttered pages where essential information gets lost among less important details.

1. Too much information

People tend to overload their marketing websites with information because they generalize information to all of their potential customers. Believing that providing more details will increase the chances of converting all of their website visitors into leads.

Instead: Focus on delivering concise and relevant information that speaks directly to your ideal customer's pain points. As an added bonus, the more of your ideal customers engage with your website, the more search engines will prioritize your website over others with similar content.

Action Items:

• Identify the primary goal of each page and ensure that the content aligns with that goal.
• Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to break up large chunks of text for easier consumption.
• Incorporate visuals such as images, infographics, and videos to supplement the text and engage visitors.

2. Self-Centric Language

People often use self-centered language, focusing on their achievements and capabilities, instead of addressing the customers' desires and concerns. This mistake can alienate potential clients who seek solutions that address their pain-points.

Instead: Craft content that resonates with your ideal customer by emphasizing the benefits and outcomes they will experience from your services.

Action Items:

• Use the word "you" more frequently to directly address the reader and create a personalized experience.
• Highlight success stories, testimonials, or case studies that demonstrate how previous clients have benefited from the service.
• Conduct research or surveys to understand customers' pain points and incorporate them into the content.

Prioritize skimming to ensure that visitors can easily consume and understand the content.

3. Lack of Visual Hierarchy

People often neglect the importance of visual hierarchy, leading to cluttered pages where essential information gets lost among less important details. This confusion can result in high bounce rates and low engagement.

Instead: Organize the content with a clear visual hierarchy that guides visitors' attention to critical elements and calls-to-action (CTA).

Action Items:

• Use headings and subheadings to create a clear content structure.
• Utilize color contrast to highlight important information and CTAs.
• Incorporate white space to give content room to breathe and improve readability.

4. Ignoring Readability

People sometimes forget that online reading is different from reading printed material. Lengthy paragraphs and industry specific language can discourage visitors from engaging with the content.

Instead: Prioritize skimming to ensure that visitors can easily consume and understand the content.

Action Items:

• Make sure headings support the paragraph and avoid being too repetitive.
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short and straightforward.
• Use a legible font and a font size that is comfortable to read on various devices.

5. Absence of Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

People might assume that visitors will naturally take the desired action without explicitly prompting them. However, without a clear CTA, potential customers may leave the website without converting.

Instead: Include persuasive and noticeable CTAs to guide visitors towards the next steps.

Action Items:

• Use contrasting colors and compelling language to make CTAs stand out.
• Place CTAs strategically throughout the website, especially on high-traffic pages.
• Test language that you might hear the customer say in person, something like “Yes, I would like to hire you.”

By addressing these common content mistakes and implementing the action items here, you can create a more engaging marketing website that resonates with their ideal customer and increases conversions.