Get better results with AIDAS
The Web is expanding every day, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to be seen and heard. Your Web site is like a traditional shop window – you have to get people to peer in and then enter your store. Once they are through the door, you can't relax and assume that your products will speak for themselves, especially when there is so much competition out there. So how do you stand out in the crowded online environment?
In order to get the best results from your Web site, it is a good idea to go back to basics and look at your content from an AIDAS perspective.
The basic goal of any business is to attract customers, provide what they need and ensure they return. By following the basic AIDAS principles when designing your Web site, you should be able to attract and retain customers.
A = Attention
Your Web site needs to capture a potential customer's attention straight away. Typically, you get about 8 seconds to make a good first impression before a visitor clicks the back button. If your site is engaging, attractive and accurately describes your business, you're half way there. Making sure your page titles are descriptive, concise and keyword rich will ensure they also grab the attention of the key search engines.
I = Interest
Think about what your customer wants and aim to retain their interest. Your product or service and the nature of your business should be clearly defined and you should communicate that your company is ready and able to meet the needs of your potential customers.
Make your Web site easy to navigate and user-friendly. To keep their interest, give visitors a reason to stay. If you have the information they are looking for and it's easy to find, they won't be tempted to leave your site and visit a competitor's instead.
D = Desire
The key to creating desire is to offer customers something they cannot get elsewhere, or to create some urgency so they want to take action immediately. Differentiate your products and services from those of your competitors by focusing on your unique selling points (USPs) and make sure they are desirable to your target market.
Explain the benefits of what you offer instead of just features – people want solutions to their problems. It helps to think about ‘WIIFM' (what's in it for me) from the customer's perspective when writing your Web copy.
A = Action
This is your ultimate goal. Think about what you want to achieve and how you will entice prospective customers to take action – it doesn't necessarily have to be a sale at this point. You might offer an enquiry form or call back/quote button, get people to sign up for a newsletter or provide free articles or downloads to help them make a purchasing decision. They key is not to provide too many calls to action in one place – tailor the call to action to the type of customer or cater for different actions in separate parts of your site.
Making your action options extremely easy to find is important. If visitors have to hunt around for your inquiry form, phone or email details, or a "contact us" page you risk losing their attention and going back to square one.
S = Satisfaction
To keep visitors coming back, your Web site needs to generate a positive and memorable experience to. Keep the channels of communication open to obtain their feedback – it's crucial to understanding their evolving needs and to establish whether customers are satisfied with their overall experience.
It's also a good idea to remind them that you're out there. If you keep them up to date with timely, relevant news, they will think of you next time. Evaluate their feedback and keep improving your products, service, and your Web site.
Ultimately, the Web site that gives prospects what they want and gives them the greatest satisfaction is the one that has the best chance at winning customers and retaining their business.
Website design and marketing that gets results
Avatar Ltd is a specialist in Web design, Web marketing and online promotion. If you're thinking about improving your online presence, have a look at the Avatar Web site or contact us to discuss how we can help you.
Tidbits
Take a break with some interesting Web snippets from our weird and wonderful world.
I vant to vatch zis. Spotted in Auckland, this poster advert for Prime's new vampire TV series. True Blood is very clever.
Have my card. Thinking about ordering some new business cards? Check out these 12 interesting and innovative ideas before you reach for the phone.
The cat in the couch. No, not a new Dr Seuss book, but a story about finding more than cash down the back of the sofa. The moral of this story is look before you dump that couch. Poor kitty.
Ancient beer. Whoever said scientists were boring never met this guy. This paleontologist has created a new beer using 45 million year old fossilized yeast. Mmm tasty!
Exercises for computer users. If like us you spend hours hunched over your computer screen, these exercises are for you. It'll be fun trying these in a busy office.
Make a note of this wallpaper. Ever get bored of your four walls? Never have a notepad to hand? This funky wallpaper kills two such birds with one stone and would be great for the office.
