How to master the hierarchy of your web content
Firstly, what is web content hierarchy and why does it matter?
Content hierarchy is a marketing term. It sounds fancy but don't be fooled, it's used to describe the strategic planning of the content on any website and therefore is vital for any company to consider if they're going to get the most out of their digital presence.
When it comes to attracting your customers, and ultimately making a sale, the position of your content on your website will determine how much time a potential customer stays on your site. The longer they stay on your site, the longer they consume information, hopefully resulting in a sale.
People are spending less and less time on websites, research has shown that the average bounce rate is about 40%, meaning potential customers are only on your site for about 10 seconds … so how do you make each second count?
Organise your content from the very start
Organising your content from the most important to least important is crucial! Think about it like a pyramid…
What do you want your customers to know and do?
When it comes to your business, ask yourself, 'if my customers could take away one thing from viewing my website, what would I want it to be?'.
Perhaps, think of a short, sweet statement or image that contextualises who you are, what you do and what makes you different.
Whatever it may be, put it AT THE TOP of your homepage. Customers need to know immediately when landing on your site what your business does and how you can help them, and then they can unpack more of the details as they navigate through your site.
Label your buttons clearly
What are the some of the questions your customers will have when arriving at your site?
Can their questions be answered on the very first page or will you have to create buttons to lead them to a different page?
If so, make the wording on your buttons as descriptive yet short as you can!
Ditch the jargon
Unless you have a good reason to, avoid using jargon for your menus. Make sure the words mean something and can be understood by people who have known about you for 10 years or 10 minutes.
Example:
WHO WE ARE | PRODUCTS | SERVICES | PRICING | CONTACT US
Make your calls to action count
A call to action makes it clear to your customer what you would like them to do to take the next step with your business. This could be in the form of a button, encouraging customers to purchase an item or sign up for a newsletter. If you have more than one, make sure you stress each one in order of importance as they scroll down your page or navigate through your site.
The wording needs to be clear and encouraging. Effective calls to action will not only make your customers happy, but will also turn leads from your site into actual business conversions. It's a win-win for all!
Final tip before you go…?
Nobody likes it when a contact page is buried deep within a website. Make sure your business is accessible and help your customers to get in touch with you within 1 or 2 clicks. If you need to limit the amount of calls your customers can have with your support team, why not consider a live chat or contact form on your site?
Here at Minted Box, we have plenty of experience integrating these into websites; need help? CONTACT US!
