Is your business website wearing a mask?

One of the things I have discovered during the Covid-19 pandemic is how much my seeing someone’s facial expressions and even the movement of their mouth impacts my ability to hear and understand what is being said. Or should I say, the lack thereof? I always thought that verbal communication was defined by sound. Now I know it is much more than that.

Who would have thought that wearing a protective facemask would have such a negative impact on communicating! It makes me wonder what other things interrupt our communications.

Words

I have been accused of having a decent vocabulary (thank-you elementary school!) and worse, making up words when nothing else comes to mind. I have learned over time that I need to be careful with the words I use…. because some people had a life and didn’t grow up being a book worm nerd. If the words you use intimidate or offend someone, they stop listening to you so remember - your words matter.

This is true in writing just as much as it is in speech. If someone is reading something you’ve written and you use too many industry or “professional” words, you may have lost them before they even got to know you. Part of being a subject-matter-expert is helping those that are not understand. 

Images

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and we all know a photograph can take us back to a memory in an instant. And while I fully embrace that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you still need to be selective in the images you select to represent you or an idea. It’s pretty easy to offend someone these days so I’m not talking about someone that sits on the fringe of society – but still, keep it professional and appropriate and you’ll improve the delivery of your intended message.

Data Dump

Many of us get excited when given the opportunity to share what we know…and if we’ve been in our profession for a while, we likely know a lot. It’s no wonder then that we think we need to share everything we know for someone to understand. 

We need to remember we live in a world of data overload and most people want to know a little before taking a deep-dive into a subject. Keep it short, focused and frankly simple. 

Conclusion

So why is this relevant to my business you ask? 

The answer is simple – if a person visiting your website doesn’t know what you do within 15 seconds, you’ve lost a prospect. Lose a prospect and lose the potential revenue the represent. 

Bottom line – while wearing a mask during a pandemic is a good thing, if you’ve masked your website, TAKE IT OFF!