Your Website Hurts My Eyes: 7 Reasons to Tone Down Your Advertising

By: Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com

So you''re on the computer, as usual. Your eyes are smarting.
Your back hurts. You want to jump in the car and sail down the
highway with all the windows down and your hair flapping in the
wind. But before you call it quits for the day, you have to look
up just one more thing. Maybe it''s web marketing, maybe you want
to buy some artwork to hang in your office. Off to Google you
go.

You type in the magic words, whatever they are, and watch as a
list of websites flows down the page. You click on the first
one, and it''s an instant assault on your eyeballs. Ten glaring
banners, flashing like Vegas at midnight. One of those annoying
hover ads that follows you as you scroll and won''t let you read
anything until you click the corner. Some sparkly things
"snowing" down the page. Frantic messages screaming things like
BUY NOW! LAST CHANCE! INSTANT SUCCESS CAN BE YOURS. A picture of
a grinning guy who reminds you of your creepy Uncle Lester.

You click away. Not today, not any day. You don''t care what that
guy is selling or even if he''s giving something away, because
his presentation is god-awful. Just when you thought you''d
escaped the mayhem, a sneaky little window pops up: "WHY DID YOU
LEAVE THIS SITE? Please fill out this quick survey!" Are they
kidding? You consider typing something offensive in the "Leave
Your Comment" box, but figure it will only encourage someone to
spam you with unwanted offers.

We''re all familiar with this web-surfing experience. It''s
downright unpleasant. What''s your opinion of someone who pitches
their company in such a loud and desperate manner? Do you
believe all of their pie-in-the-sky promises? Do they strike you
as company run by people who are intelligent, honest and
reliable? Are you going to whip out your credit card because
they tell you to?

Of course you''re not. Being the loudest, the brightest, the
busiest and the boldest may attract attention, but it does not
bring sales. That''s something to remember when you''re creating
your own company website. What DOES attract and keep new
customers coming back? A simple, tasteful web design. An easily
navigable site. Copy that''s crisp, clean, and interesting.

Here are 7 reasons to tone down your advertising:

1. Flash is just too flashy. A flash presentation can be
creative and unique, but is it really needed for what you offer?
Will that kooky winking clown-head in the corner really make the
sale for you? Even if you find a really excellent designer who
can put together an incredible high-tech Flash feature, consider
the harried web surfer. She''s been clicking all day; do you
really think she has the patience to stand for one more
mini-movie?

2. Too many messages cancel each other out. Ever try to
read one of those pharmacy circulars when you''re tired? All of
those big red words emblazoned across the page. Headlines
crammed in beside blown-out price points and cheap photography.
It isn''t easy! If you try to cram a whole bunch of words on your
website, guess what? Not one of those messages is going to be
read, let alone remembered. The eye doesn''t know where to look!
Try a visual whisper instead of a scream. Make your point as
best you can, but take care to leave whitespace so the eyes have
a resting place where they can digest what you''ve said.

3. Movement is distracting. Think about the last time you
visited a website with "magical stars" sprinkling down over the
words. Were you able to read and understand it? Mind the weary
web surfer; be kind to his eyes! You stand a much better chance
of holding a customer''s interest with words that aren''t flying
off the page, but rather standing still in one spot, waiting
quietly for someone to read them!

4. The mighty click is all-powerful. You know what it is
to be that web hunter. The mouse is in your hand; you''re in
total control! Now think of that other person palming the mouse,
surfing YOUR site. If your website is a frenzy of color and
confusion, all it takes is one CLICK and you''re forgotten! Don''t
want them to click away? Here''s how to make them stay. Keep it
clean and simple!

5. Your empty promises are lost on the skeptical
consumer. Think about your own web-surfing experiences. Did
you believe that guy who told you he''d make you a millionaire if
you just SIGN UP TODAY? You''re better off being honest and
optimistic, than crazed and fanatical about what you can offer
your customer.

6. Pop-ups are really annoying. Have you ever been so
intrigued by a pop-up ad that you bought whatever they were
raving about? My guess is no. Do you appreciate it when you''re
trying to get some work done on the computer and fifteen pop-up
ads crowd your screen and overload your hard drive? I certainly
don''t! If you don''t like such rude interruptions, then don''t
impose them on somebody else. I don''t care how many times that
marketing guru tells you it will improve your search engine
ranking. Search engine stats might give you exposure, but click
rates mean nothing if the customer''s not buying.

7. No one reads really long sales letters. Ah, how
brilliant of those copywriting experts to convince you that a
six-page letter is going to bring in big bucks for your company.
Especially if you''re paying them by the hour or word! A two-page
letter will do the same thing as a six-pager, and more. The
''more'' being that it will hold your reader''s interest the whole
way through. Brevity is the key to great writing. If you can
make a great argument in five words or less, you''ve got it all
over the next guy. Keep that in mind before you put the Magna
Carta on your web portal.

Want to design and write website content that attracts and
captivates? Want to bring your visitors back for seconds,
thirds, fourths, and the ultimate purchase? Then keep the above
"distractors" to a minimum. Really try to put yourself in the
other person''s shoes... the one who is searching the internet
for what you have. Think about all of those things that prevent
you from enjoying your web surfing experience, and then take
care to remove them from your own company website! Offer
tasteful, subtle design, eloquent headlines, and clear,
informative copy. Be honest about what you sell and how it can
make a difference for your potential customer. Speak softly, and
watch the sales roll in.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com:
Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with
nine years'' industry experience. Her current focus is web
content and web marketing for a multitude of products and
services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for
big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit
http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.