maine web development, web design, internet marketing

What is brochureware?

If your current site hasn’t changed much in the last 5 years, and all the content is based on offline marketing materials you had sitting in the office, chances are you have what is referred to as a ‘brochureware‘ website. Yikes!

What’s wrong with Brochureware?

Well..how do I say this nicely…brochureware tends to be very boring, unengaging and less likely to generate any leads. While brochures are great for takeaways, they do little to actually ‘sell’ a product. User engagement is what sells a product. People need to be engaged by your message, your product and your company to move forward through the sales process. Unfortunately, giving your web visitors a stale sales pitch can’t compete with a website that features demos, testimonials, and targeted content.

What can I do about it?

There are several things you can do to your website to make it fresh, give it some personality, and make it more interactive. Here’s a few tips to get started:

• Redesign your site – Get a professional designed site with cohesive branding
• Rework the copy – Remove any gobbledygook words and speak directly to your customers.
• Add interactive elements: At the very least a contact form. If you are more ambitious than a blog or forum can suit your needs as well.
  
• Attend “Creating a Website That Works“, Tuesday, August 5th at 2:00 EST to learn how to build a site with your customers in mind that performs well in search engines and drives in reliable sales.

Creative Commons License photo credit: roland