Keeping people 'hanging' is an old trick of thriller films and books. People are naturally curious, and want to know more after an event captures their interest.
A writer or film maker of a thriller or crime story cannot give away all the vital information on the first page or scene. It would completely ruin the suspense!
When it comes to the first page, or home page, of a website - suspense is not good.
You need to give your vital information upfront.
If a visitor to your site is left wondering what it actually is that your site is offering - that person is likely to turn on their heels and march off to another site.
You have mere seconds to make an impression when a visitor lands at your website.
If your site takes a long time to load in, you might not even keep the visitor long enough to make any kind of impression at all.
Writing for the web is different than writing for any other medium. The web can mean "information-overload" for many web users - shopping, services and information is available around the clock at countless sites.
Web users are used to entering a website and getting exactly what they want. They can search for a particular model of camera for example - and enter a site on the page that displays the product information for that camera. No need to go through the front door (home page) of a website!
At the very least, do announce what your website is and what it does at the very start of your homepage.
A writer or film maker of a thriller or crime story cannot give away all the vital information on the first page or scene. It would completely ruin the suspense!
When it comes to the first page, or home page, of a website - suspense is not good.
You need to give your vital information upfront.
If a visitor to your site is left wondering what it actually is that your site is offering - that person is likely to turn on their heels and march off to another site.
You have mere seconds to make an impression when a visitor lands at your website.
If your site takes a long time to load in, you might not even keep the visitor long enough to make any kind of impression at all.
Writing for the web is different than writing for any other medium. The web can mean "information-overload" for many web users - shopping, services and information is available around the clock at countless sites.
Web users are used to entering a website and getting exactly what they want. They can search for a particular model of camera for example - and enter a site on the page that displays the product information for that camera. No need to go through the front door (home page) of a website!
At the very least, do announce what your website is and what it does at the very start of your homepage.
Print journalists are taught to put the who, what, when, how, why and where in the first paragraph, or at least the first two paragraphs.
It's no good placing the vital information at the end - as the sub-editor might need to chop off the last paragraphs to fit the story on a newspaper page.
You don't have to put all of that information in the first paragraph of your site. But it's good practice to write out all the who, what, when, how, why and what of your business or enterprise - and then figure out what would be most useful for people to know when they enter your site.
For example, Jeannie Bean sells unique design children's clothing. She starts thinking about how to write an opening statement for her website.
Who: Jeannie Bean
What: Girl's clothing made with antique fabrics.
When: Orders take between two and four weeks to complete.
Where: Market stall at Kirra, Queensland but also sells Australia-wide.
How: High-quality antique fabrics. Made by Jeannie herself.
Why: To provide parents with beautiful clothing for their daughters.
Jeannie writes her opening statement:
Antique girls clothing by Jeannie Bean. Dress your children in gorgeous, unique antique fabrics and designs.
High quality fabrics and finish, with meticulous attention to detail.
Little Beans Clothing Company delivers Australia-wide.
Anni Taylor Copyright March 2008
It's no good placing the vital information at the end - as the sub-editor might need to chop off the last paragraphs to fit the story on a newspaper page.
You don't have to put all of that information in the first paragraph of your site. But it's good practice to write out all the who, what, when, how, why and what of your business or enterprise - and then figure out what would be most useful for people to know when they enter your site.
For example, Jeannie Bean sells unique design children's clothing. She starts thinking about how to write an opening statement for her website.
Who: Jeannie Bean
What: Girl's clothing made with antique fabrics.
When: Orders take between two and four weeks to complete.
Where: Market stall at Kirra, Queensland but also sells Australia-wide.
How: High-quality antique fabrics. Made by Jeannie herself.
Why: To provide parents with beautiful clothing for their daughters.
Jeannie writes her opening statement:
Antique girls clothing by Jeannie Bean. Dress your children in gorgeous, unique antique fabrics and designs.
High quality fabrics and finish, with meticulous attention to detail.
Little Beans Clothing Company delivers Australia-wide.
Anni Taylor Copyright March 2008
Is suspense driving people away from your website?
Making an impression in the midst of 'information-overload'
What does your website do? What does it offer?
What to put on your home page
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