At one point or another, most of us have probably been at a job interview where we’ve been asked to talk about ourselves. In response, you might list some fun facts or tell an anecdote or two that reflects who you are.
In most instances, this is a perfectly acceptable way of answering a question like this. But when you’re telling people about your business, it’s necessary to dig a little deeper. In designing brand messaging—especially on your website—telling someone who you are is as much about the value you provide as it is the basic facts of your business.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to ensure that you convey a strong and assertive message about what you’re trying to accomplish with your business and how you can be of service to its visitors.
Create Engaging Content
When crafting your web copy, it might be helpful to place yourself in the shoes of someone visiting your website. The web content on your site needs to illustrate to your visitors what each step of the process in booking a trip with you will look like.
Think about what you might ask if you were planning a trip. What would you want to know before reaching out to an advisor? How would you best find what you’re looking for? If someone books with a given business, what are the next steps?
Not only are these valuable questions to answer, they also serve as an opportunity to make a good first impression for anyone who comes across your business. If you’ve proven to a user that you’ve thought about their needs and care about their web browsing experience, you can signal that they’ll have be given the same attention to detail throughout the booking process. Being thorough isn’t something you can fake, and it can go a long way in converting potential customers into leads.
Understand User Needs
The substance of your web copy should be centered around what you provide, how you provide it, and how it might help someone looking to book a trip.
To do that, you need to grasp what someone might be seeking in their vacation plans. Are they looking for an adventurous trek or a relaxing beach holiday? Do they prefer guided tours or independent exploration? Make sure to utilize the data and records you’re keeping to help inform the content on your website and the language you’re using to talk about your services.
Keep It Simple
Creativity can be a great thing. But where it starts to lead you down the wrong path is when you prioritize it over clear messaging. Your website language sweet spot should be somewhere in the middle between the two—interesting copy that draws the reader in, but not so much so that it becomes distracting. Try to avoid long or confusing sentences. Be short and to the point, and do it in a way that’s engaging and leaves your site visitors with no doubt about what they’re getting when they book with you.
Leverage Testimonials
As a general rule on your web page, you should show, not tell, especially when it comes to your copy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t also include testimonial information. A healthy sprinkling of customer reviews that supplement your key business specs can serve to aid this copy. People want to know they can trust you when they book with you, so hearing from others you’ve worked with can help you establish your bonafides.
With that said, be strategic in how you employ these reviews. Your frame of mind should be consistent across your web strategy—namely, how what you include on your site adds value and drives leads to your business?
If you consider this approach in each step of the process, you’ll end up with a truly original website that presents you and your business in a unique way and shows current and prospective clients that, even before you’ve begun booking a trip for them, you’ve already taken their needs into account.