Corporate Websites = Business Résumés
As someone who used to spend a ton of time fixing other people’s résumés, one of the biggest issues that I saw on a daily basis is the tendency for people to describe their work experience in paragraph form.
Why am I against paragraphs? The answer is simple, no one reads them!
Take look for yourself:
Which is Easier to Read in 6 seconds?
Why is this important, you might ask? People do not read résumés, they scan them. On average, a hiring manager takes 6 seconds to make a decision on an applicant’s résumé. Those 6 seconds are crucial. If the résumé is scannable, some hiring managers actually might take a couple of minutes to go through it in detail, or even pick up the phone and give the candidate a call to set up an interview. After the call, the résumé has done its job and got the candidate in the door. It’s the candidate’s job to continue to sell them on why they should get the position.
Why is your business website design important?
Let me stress this to you, you can learn a great deal about a person in a 6-second viewing of their résumé. Some information a hiring manager can learn about a candidate in a 6-second viewing of their résumé includes attention to detail, commitment level, computer skill set, work skill set, and most importantly their contact information.
For a business, a corporate website is no different than a personal résumé. Check out the following example:
Look at these business website examples. Which Website would you trust?
business web design is about simplicity and quickly conveying the more important information to the reader in a clear and concise manner.
Businesses have an even smaller amount of time to leave a lasting impression on their user. They get a measly 0.05 of a second to make a good impression on their customer. That 0.05 of a second is the difference between a potential customer staying on their website, and exploring more, or simply pressing the back button to move on to a competitor’s website.
If a website retains a customer after 0.05 seconds, they better impress them. A striking 75% of consumers will judge a business and their credibility off of the presentation of their website. Like a résumé, a company website shows the consumer what the business does, the services they can perform, and what makes them unique from their competitors.
Corporate website design should be scannable
Just like a résumé it is imperative that a website is scannable. A typical web user is constantly distracted by the many things going on visually on the website, their browser, and browsing device. By keeping a website easy to scan and use, businesses are making it easier for their consumer to find the information they are looking for. Usability is key, if a customer gets confused, frustrated, and can’t find the information they are looking for (i.e. Company Contact Information), they will ultimately end up leaving the website before purchasing a product.
The old saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” In the high stakes of business website design, the same principle applies.
These are just a few examples of how résumés and websites are similar. What other ways are they similar? Are there any extreme differences? How else can businesses use their website’s usability and scanability to attract, obtain, and retain customers.
