We All Have A.D.D. So Keep It Simple

People have short attention spans. I know I do.  I am constantly bombarded with messages. I don’t have time to devote myself fully to each message I come across. I scan Web pages and text. I don’t read them. Chances are you are the same way.

So if we are all so A.D.D. stricken why on earth do we feel the need to fill Web pages with gobs of text that will go unread? I think it’s human nature. We want to be as detailed as possible. That’s not a bad thing. There is a time and place for it though. And that place is not the Web. Certainly not your homepage.

Gone are the days where we have to rely on the written word to explain something.  Do you have a complex or detailed process your customers need to know about? Don’t expect them to read about it. They simply don’t have the time to read it.

Instead why don’t you try to appeal to them visually, audibly, or both? Flash or video presentations allow you to take something that is hard to explain in words and make it simple to understand.

Ready for an example? Check out the video on our web development homepage. We could have wrote paragraphs explaining our different web design services. But why? No one would read it. However, you can watch the short video and get a good overall feel for what we do and the type of company we are.

Another good example can be found on this hardwood specialty manufacturer‘s Web site. The simple screen demo walks customers through the ordering process. A process that would have been convoluted and messy if they had chosen to write out the process.

One final example comes from a quality roofing company in Indianapolis. They chose to walk through how the insurance claims process works for those clients who wish to take advantage of the insurance negotiation expertise.

It’s up to you. Only you have the power to kill the fluff epidemic abounding on the Web.

Which of your processes or information would best be presented with Flash or video?