The Power of the Web Site – What is Yours Saying?

I probably spend more time than most people critiquing the various components that Hotels produce to promote their product.

So it’s probably not a huge surprise to anyone who knows me, or has come to read by Blog from time to time, that I would have an opinion on promotional materials.

In fact, the people who know me well would say that one of the things that they have probably learned from me is to ALWAYS proof your work, and no, that doesn’t mean spell check.

Far too many people assume that if spell check thinks their document is fine, well, then it must be fine. Unfortunately, spell check doesn’t know if you used the word correctly, or, if you omitted a word entirely, it just knows whether or not they’re spelled correctly.

That is little consolation in my opinion for when someone goes to your web site and it’s a hodgepodge of obviously inappropriate grammar, unfinished sentences and typos.

This is your brand people, this is a reflection of you, and what is it telling us?

It’s telling us that you don’t have an eye for details, that the term “attention to detail” does not have the same meaning to you that it does to the reader, and that is a dangerous message to send.

I don’t know about you, but I want people organizing my meeting or conference who prioritize every single detail and recognize that it is in taking care of the little things that the seemingly bigger things are accomplished.

I know I’m preaching and that’s never a good idea, but at the risk of repeating myself, this is your brand, your reputation, your integrity, so take the time to check out your web site, or, find a freak in your business, like I am, that takes pride in finding and correcting those typos.

Yes, it’s mundane, but it’s important.

And if you think it isn’t that important, ask your friends what they think when they go to plan a holiday, or make a significant purchase on-line, and they go to a web site and encounter the kinds of things that I have talked about here.

Ask them how anxious they are to do business with that company, or, as I suspect they do at times, ask them if in fact they went and looked for another supplier, and went with that company?

The web has become the first point of contact for many people, the first impression, and we all know, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.