Why your customer didn't read about you on your website

Open the website of an average company. What do you see? An animated hero saying “We’ve been here for you since 2003”. A slider with office photos. Three icons — Quality, Reliability, Professionalism.

But the visitor didn’t come to admire your offices. They came with a question. And that question is simple: Will you help me with my problem?

8 seconds and done

Research shows that the average visitor decides within the first 8 seconds whether to stay on a website. That’s not enough time for your company’s story. That’s time for one clear sentence.

And yet most websites don’t have that one sentence. Instead of an answer, they offer feelings. Instead of specifics, they offer superlatives. Instead of a solution, they offer a slideshow.

What to say instead of “We’re here for you”

Imagine you’re a dentist. A visitor is looking for a dentist in their city. They land on your website. What do they want to know?

• Are you accepting new patients?
• Where is your office?
• How much does it cost?
• How do I book an appointment?

None of these questions are “What’s your story?” or “How many years have you been in business?”. And yet most websites answer exactly these irrelevant questions.

Usability, not design

The solution isn’t a redesign. The solution is to stop thinking of a website as a business card and start thinking of it as a tool. A tool with one job: answer the visitor’s question as quickly as possible.

That doesn’t mean an ugly website. It means a website where it’s clear what to do. Where the phone number is at the top, not hidden in the footer. Where the CTA is visible without scrolling. Where the text says what you do, not how you feel.

What to do about it?

Open your website. Read the first headline. Does it tell the visitor what you do? Or does it tell them how great you are? If it’s the latter — you have a problem that’s costing you customers every single day.