Websites can sometimes be both a blessing and a curse. You have this wonderful spot carved out on the web to direct people to learn about your company or brand, but you have multiple little details to focus on to make sure those people are entertained enough to stay on your page. For many fresh produce marketers, you are torn between speaking directly to your buyers and the consumers that purchase your brand. Some produce brands have ineffective websites that are diluted with messaging to multiple audiences. Well, you can rest easy knowing that there is a simple solution: outline and understand the who, what and WHY of your website.
The Who: Establish who you are trying to reach.
One question you should ask yourself when browsing your page is, “Who does this site speak to?” Consistent messaging is key when looking to attract and retain an audience’s attention. However, consistent messaging is only attainable when you know who you are trying to reach. Is your goal to reach the consumers who are engaging with your brand on social media? Then your web copy should echo that and leave the trade jargon out of the conversation. Are you trying to interest potential buyers? Then your website should be marketed directly to this audience and should not be shared with consumers. No matter how polished your message is, it will not stick if it is not reaching the intended audience.
The What: Determine the intent of your messaging.
Another question to consider is, “What do I want them to do with the information provided?” If the answer to that question is a little fuzzy, you might need to re-evaluate what your goal is for having a website. If the intent is to inspire consumers, then your messaging should reflect that. Consumers have needs that are much different than the trade and vice versus. When you are using context that excites consumers as well as trade jargon, your overall message gets diluted – ultimately dulling the sparkle your website could have! Without knowing what your intent is, crafting the perfect message can be a time consuming task that ultimately fails.
The Why: Define what success looks like.
We get it – most of the time you need to reach both the consumer and trade. Unfortunately, the messaging for each is unique and does not mix as well as we would like. When looking at your website, take a step back and remember why you created your website in the first place. Was it created to educate consumers on your products? Or was it created to keep the industry up to date on your innovative concepts? Without knowing what success looks like, you are really shooting in the dark when it comes to refining your website.
Since your website is and should be your pride and joy (well, second to your beautiful products!), shouldn’t you tend to it in a more thoughtful manner? If visitors cannot decipher what you do and what they can receive within 10 seconds of landing on your homepage, you may want to reconsider your website.
Reaching trade and consumer audiences with the right messaging requires a strategic approach to your website. If this is a pain point for you, we have a solution! We recommend that produce brands consider ways to carve out different places on the web for their consumer and their trade audience. Contact us today if you are interested in finding out more on how we can help you navigate through updating your website.
