Cut cut cut!

For many people who have websites, this is a sad but almost undoubtedly true fact: No one wants to read what you have to say.

First, let me give a caveat - if you have a blog or some opinion-based or news-based site, chances are people that visit your site do actually want to read what you have to say. But, most sites do not fall into that category. Also, this is not to say that visitors won't read anything at all -- but all most visitors want to do is find a specific piece of information very quickly and move on. Nobody sets out looking for self-hyping or vague filler, and any amount of that present on your site is an obstacle to their goal.

What I've said in previous posts about being self-aware or maintaining objectivity applies strongly here -- do you read websites? When you search for something and find a relevant hit, do you explore a site, patiently sit through a flash intro, and read paragraphs of marketing copy? The answer is probably no. So why would you expect your visitors to do that?

I've seen cases where I get the distinct impression a client is afraid that not having a lot of pages and a lot of text will send a message to the visitor that there is a lack of substance there. This couldn't be further from the truth. A trim, efficient, streamlined site that is light on fluff but clear and direct on content will send a message that you know what you're talking about, you know what the visitor wants, and you don't waste time and energy on the superfluous. Probably the only commodity more valuable than money is time, and no one wants their time wasted.

So I'm going to listen to my own advice and keep this short. Some simple rules:

• Be ruthless and be willing to edit - because your visitors are ruthless with the "back" button and will ditch your page in seconds if they don't see what they want right away.
• Every piece of content you write needs to deliver vital information that the visitor wants to read, otherwise you need to get rid of it.
  
• Be willing to delete entire pages if their content is unnecessary or so light it could easily be combined with other pages.
  
• Don't be long-winded; write concisely.
  
• And perhaps underpinning all of this: don't be emotionally attached to any of your content, or you'll cheat yourself out of making the best site for your visitors.