When sitting down to plan out a Web site or a Web page, it's easy to lose focus and try to do too much or not do enough. As a result, pages get muddled and the visitor quickly clicks off and goes somewhere else. You can bring much better focus to your pages by remembering these three guidelines: KNOW. FEEL. DO.
First of all…what do you want the visitor to KNOW? This is the left-brain information that you are trying to get across. Where, when, why, how, what, etc. Remember, talk to the visitor in language that they can understand. Don't give her "camp" language and don't tell her things that only you care about. Take the time to write from her perspective so your language easily connects with her and she's encouraged to keep reading.
Next, what do you want the visitor to FEEL? If the first section was left-brained, this one is right-brained. Remember, you communicate feelings best with photos. What kind of photos will do the best job of describing what you are trying to communicate with your copy? Humans love to see (and are attracted most easily) to other human faces…particularly the eyes. To show kids in action or having fun or displaying the kind of emotion you want to illicit in the visitor is best. This is important. Remember, about half your visitors will make their decision based not on information…but on emotion. Great photos capture this best.
Finally, (and most importantly) what do you want the visitor to DO? More than anything else, the lack of a strong call to action on every page is what causes the page to lose focus. Everything on the page should prepare the visitor to take the action you want them to take…on every single page of your site. Do you want them to register for camp? Do you want them to simply click to see your rates and dates? Whatever the action, make their choice very clear. And make it easy. The visitor should never have to hit the back button or scroll back to the top of the page to find the call to action. It should always be readily available.
If you remember KEEP, FEEL, DO on every single page, your individual pages and your entire site will become much more focused and achieve the results you want.
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