Is your website helping or hurting your business?

Many businesses don’t really think their website is doing much for them. Some think it’s just another marketing cost center. But they forget something very important: When you hear of a new product or company, the first thing you do is check out their website, right?

That is what people do. That means your website is often their first point of contact with you and your business. It is what makes that important first impression. And as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. …Read More

Once upon a time, when I was vice president and creative director at Design Center in San Francisco, we had a wonderful presentation that showed the transformation of a cereal box … and not for the better. It started as a clean, well designed package. Then one by one, banners, special offer bursts and other distractions – interrupters they are called – were added: “New!” “Surprise Inside” “Special Offer” “20% More Included Free,” etc., etc.

In the end, the package was so cluttered that the brand was practically lost. It was a whole different package, giving a very different impression! Adding more “information,” all of which competes for the shopper’s attention, doesn’t work. In fact, it detracts from the appeal of the product and the brand.

From Packages to Websites

Today I see this same sort of problem on websites. Too many distractions and too many options: animation, changing images, announcements, highlighted links, news that often isn’t news, sponsored links, advertisements galore, all vying for our attention. That is in addition to the main page content and navigation.

These cluttered websites suffer from the same design and communication problems as the cereal box, as this video demonstrates: