Headings are one of the most important elements of a business website.
But they’re also one of the most challenging.
Some issues that business owners, managers and marketers have with their headings include:
- Too many words
- Confusing words
- Too many headings
- Cutesy wording
- And more…
If you’re looking to get better conversion on your website then here are a few tips for writing better website headings.
1. What does the customer expect?
The person viewing your page (homepage, services page, etc.) clicked on something or typed the URL directly into their address bar expecting a certain result.
For example, if they searched for “pizza restaurant” on their maps app on their phone, found a result that looked appealing and clicked, what did they want?
They want to see a pizza restaurant and what it has to offer for pizza options. They might also want to learn a little about the restaurant and what they’re like.
Your heading is the first thing someone looks at when they open your page. They want to know that they’re in the right place.
They can see your logo at the top of the screen. That confirms who you are. They want to see that you are in fact a pizza restaurant. They might want to confirm that you are in their area.
2. What does the customer want?
Next, think about what the customer really wants. We know they want to confirm that they’re on the right website. But immediately after they confirm that they want to find what they’re looking for.
In our example, they want to eat pizza. Show them that you sell pizza and possibly be a little more detailed if you specialize in a certain type of pizza.
3. What do you want to sell?
A big trap with headings is to have too many main headings on a page. The trap is set when your company sells multiple products and you can’t decide what is most important.
So you have to answer the question of what you want to sell.
Create a priority list of your products. Identify a term that encompasses it all. If that’s not possible then identify your top item.
“Pizza Restaurant” might be the main heading on your homepage. But it could be “Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Restaurant” if that’s your specialty.
Secondary headings can include specific pizza offerings.
4. First Draft
After going through the steps above write out your first draft of a heading. Ask yourself if it follows the rules above. If not, try again. If it does, move to the next step.
5. Can you make is shorter?
Always look to make the heading as short as possible. The more words you have the less likely people are to read it fully. And if it’s too long and confusing they will probably just click back and find another option.
“Pizza Restaurant in Chicago” can work great. But you want to think about if you could shorten it to “Pizza in Chicago”.
It’s a balance of saying enough so the customer understands while also not confusing them with too many words.
6. Audit Schedule
After you go through this process the next time you’ll feel like it’s done. The site is ready to go. But set a reminder to review this in six months or twelve months.
An effective website needs maintenance. That includes headings and other content. Take an hour every six months to read through your website. You’ll be able to review your headings and determine if a change is necessary. Go through the same questions above that you do this first time.
Conclusion
Headings may seem like an easy aspect of creating a business website. But there are traps to avoid. Don’t get too cute. Don’t try to oversell your product. Focus on what the customer expects, what they want and how that aligns with what you’re selling. Less is more when it comes to headings.
