The 3 Secrets to an Unforgettable Web Site

Make a Lasting Impression

Look at your current web site. Is it forgettable?

Many sites today are built with the same templates, so it’s insert photo here, place text block there, pick a background color. They all start to feel the same.

It’s like looking at houses that all have the same floor plan. You get that eerie sense that you’ve been there before.

Sometimes potential clients ask us to give them web site templates so they can just put the content in themselves. This assembly line mentality is spawning mediocre sites that lack impact.

So how do you make an unforgettable web site?

1. Have a hook

   Think of it like a boxing match. You can jab, jab, jab with text, photos, layout, but ultimately, you gotta throw that right hook for the knock-out punch.

   What’s your hook?

   What sets you apart? Why should people care?

   The hook is the central idea that brings cohesiveness and power to your site, and takes it beyond just words and pictures. The hook is what will drive traffic, generate leads and increase sales.

   If you replaced the logo on your web site with a competitor’s, would a visitor even notice? If your name or logo is the only thing that is making your site different, you have no hook. Picture Microsoft’s logo on Apple’s site. It wouldn’t work.

   Start with your hook, and everything else will fall into place.

2. Take some risks

   Find out who your audience is and speak to them. Just them. Don’t worry about anyone else.

   When people try to please everyone, they end up pleasing no one.

   We recently tested a video script we had written by sending it out as an email. It was a little… edgy. We got more feedback than we ever expected. Some people hated it, called us names and unsubscribed. (There were hipsters who would have thrown their latte at us, if they hadn’t just spent $12 on it.)

   But we got many more enthusiastic compliments, as well as some great new leads with some big brands.

   We did not please everyone, but the rewards outweighed the risks. Getting a strong reaction – good or bad – is often better than no reaction at all. If you incite passion in people, they will remember you.

3. Do one thing exceptionally well

   Think of all the things you can do on your site or to promote your web site: content marketing, videos, social media, PPC/remarketing, marketing automation, email campaigns, etc. It can be tempting to jump in and try to do everything right away, but it’s more important to master one of those venues, crush it, and then move on to the next thing.

   Focus on being great at one thing, and you’ll stand out from the herd of people who are multitasking, but not doing it particularly well.

Find your hook, take some risks, and excel at something. It sounds simple, but sometimes an outsider’s perspective can help. Let’s talk.



Diane Callihan

With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.