Conversations Online: Websites
In this and next few Wednesday posts I continue the theme of conversations online and explore how conversations happen online. There are differences between online and offline conversations although perhaps they are more apparent than real.
Nothing possible in real life is impossible online, although some things are more difficult. If we don’t pay attention, we miss a lot of the value of online relationships.
Websites may seem to be an odd place to start. They are after all a one-way medium. I put stuff on my website for visitors to read. Ok that’s true but I need to know what my visitors want to read. Or rather I need to know which visitors I want to build relationships with by placing content on my site they want to read. (I’ve just started a new Tuesday sequence about how a website can be written by and for its visitors.)
Many organisations design websites without a target visitor in mind. It cab be difficult to work out exactly who is the ideal visitor!
Many sites are about the site owner or their organisation. Why do so many voluntary organisations write at great length about their governance structures? Sometimes on the home page! It helps to take a step back and think about who you want to reach and what might interest them. Who benefits from what your organisation does and how?
Things to Consider
To be part of a conversation the site needs to be designed so each page has one message leading to a call to action. The call to action is how you know there is a conversation happening at all! Too many sites don’t explain properly their call to action or it is an afterthought. For example, beginning the home page with a request to download a newsletter is not a good idea. The visitor needs to know something about the newsletter before they download it. Help them make their decision!
Also think about the exchange you want. Do you want them to download your newsletter or to subscribe to it? The former is hardly a conversation at all. The latter may be the start of a relationship.
All this is fairly limited. In future posts I’ll explore how you can enhance your website and online presence so that you can take part in conversations. How does your website engage with its visitors?