4 Words All Websites Need to Have

I just read a list by Jakob Nielsen, “the guru of web page usability”, called Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design. Number 8 is one I see almost daily in my web travels: “Violating Design Conventions”. Nielsen points out that site users “form their expectations for your site based on what’s commonly done on most other sites. If you deviate, your site will be harder to use and users will leave. ”

This is as true of writing as it is of user interface design. Readers expect to see specific words on your home page. If they don’t see them, they may assume you don’t offer the information they seek.

The worst mistake you could make as a business or site owner is to be obscure.

A new visitor to your site may spend less than ten seconds total on your home page. Ten distracted seconds, with the phone ringing, the email in-box chiming, and a viral video or iTunes playing in the background. To get her attention and meet her expectations, you need to write clearly.

The first step to getting and keeping visitors is to write clear, simple navigation, so people can immediately find the pages they need. On most websites, users expect to see some or all of the following words in your main site navigation:

• HOME
• ABOUT: If you’re an individual, consultancy, or service provider, this means personal/professional bio(s). If you’re a big company or non-profit, it means company overview, mission, history, awards.
• CONTACT: Name, address, email or contact form, phone, fax, customer service line, etc.
• HELP/FAQ: Help menus tend to be searchable, comprehensive and technical, with the goal of reducing the number of customer service phone calls. FAQs are appropriate for smaller sites, but can be used the same way: to answer questions that routinely bog down your staff’s email accounts.

As a website copywriter and consultant, where I see people get into trouble is when they offer the navigational items listed above, but change these words. Usually it’s an effort to differentiate themselves by making their sites edgy or friendly.

For example, “About” becomes “Meet Us”. It’s meant to sound like a friendly greeting. The problem is, web users don’t have a practiced short-hand ready for “Meet Us”. We’re conditioned to know that “About” means “Bio” or “Company Details”. “Meet Us” requires a moment of thought.

When I first saw this on a client’s site, I assumed it meant “Set up a meeting” or “Come by our office”. Putting myself in the shoes of a first-time site visitor, I assumed this link wasn’t for me. I wasn’t ready to meet these business owners face-to-face — I was still looking for their About page. Had I been a real prospective customer, I might have given up and gone to a different site where the executive bios were easier to find.

Similarly, “Contact” often becomes “Get in touch”. Not the worst substitution in the world, but why use 12 characters when you can use seven? Also, “Contact”, as a word, has become a symbol to website users. When we feel the urgent need to send a note or make a phone call, we scan for this symbol. If we don’t see the familiar letter “C”, we may go all Hulk on your website (or simply close the window).

The important thing to remember about business websites is that they exist to sell you and/or your product to an audience with a very short attention span.

If your site is easy to understand and FAST (meaning: I can find what I need in under ten seconds), you stand a much better chance of getting and holding a user’s attention long enough to sell to them.

Layout and design is only half the battle. Words matter. When it comes to navigation, being clear is more important than being different. Use the words people expect to see — even if you think they’re boring. Save your persuasive, friendly, personality-infused writing for your actual page content — where people expect to see it.