You knew this was a blog entry before reading the title above, right? (Well, I hope you did or else this here blog entry doesn’t hold as much relevance as I’d planned.)
Give your audience some credit, and don’t state the obvious. Say something that matters instead. Words are like real estate. Valuable real estate. Don’t waste them on points that everyone already knows.
If I have to look at one more website’s home page that shouts, “Welcome to my website” or that merely uses the name of the company as the main headline (right next to the logo), I’m going to scream. A website’s home page should feature text that makes its visitors want to click around and stay for a bit.
It’s kind of like going to a dinner party. Yes, it’s nice when the host opens the door and says, “Welcome to my home.” But you already knew you were in their home, and, seeing as how they were the ones to invite you there, you probably know that you’re welcome.
You know what I like to be greeted with? “What can I get you to drink?” This headline not only makes me feel welcome, but it also focuses on ME and not THEM. “Welcome to my home” is all about their home and how fancy schmancy this dinner party is, bla bla bla. Enough about them! Using “What can I get you to drink?” as the opener is all about meeting my needs as their guest, and that says more about their hospitality than the Captain Obvious words of welcome. (I’ll have a dirty martini, by the way, thanks.)
I once noticed at my physical therapist’s office a three-ring binder on the front desk. It said in big letters on the front: FORMS BINDER. I’m pretty sure the receptionist was aware it was a binder already. How about something a little more helpful, like what kind of forms the binder holds. “Patient Forms,” “Insurance Forms” or even “Useless Forms We Make Patients Fill Out” would all be more useful.
Don’t waste an opportunity to use your website or other marketing communication pieces to convey your bottom-line message. Sure, you can and should use those words to welcome your visitors, but also to let them know you are there to meet their needs as consumers, and to fill their glass as needed.
What’s the most obvious label out there that you’ve seen?
