Over the years I have developed a lot of websites, and marketing based content for our clients. We have developed languages and tones of voice to accurately represent the client, their message and appeal to their target audience.
One of the first questions I usually present during brainstorming sessions is ‘do you have anything you want to get across’ and you would be surprised how many answers start with:
‘we’re passionate about (enter business service here)’.
This is a hard, face-palm moment for me.
A real-life example happened when speaking with one of our clients, Covase Fleet Management. They wanted to integrate ‘we have a passion for customer service’ into their new brochure. It was at this point that I stopped and said…no. We can’t and won’t do that. And here is why.
It’s been done. It’s overused. It’s a regurgitated, bland idea from the 1980s that lazy, unoriginal people go to in times of desperation. If you have a business, of course you are passionate about it…passion is, and should be, implied. If you’re not passionate about your business…then give up now, and go find something that does make you giggle with excitement.
If you state that you have passion on your website, you probably don’t truly have it. Today I am shining a light on how real passion comes through in websites that are designed with solid marketing.
Real passion can be seen in the tone and the language of the website; colours, textures used, personality, it is something you can sense and feel. You will notice if you Google ‘web design Oxford’ that our website is vastly different from our competitors. We are ranked number 1 and use ‘Rare Form Red’ as our base colour. Numbers 2-4 all use safe blue colours with slightly similar designs. The informal, slightly American tone on our website reflects who we are and what we stand for. Our personality and love for what we do oozes from top to bottom and throughout the pages. From what some clients and potential clients have told us, our website gives the sense that we are ‘energised, idea-generating, fun, productive web designers that get the job done and truly love what we do’. That’s real passion…and spot on.
One of our clients, Captain Red Eye and the Hoods, are one of the UK’s premier swing bands. When they came in to talk to us about their website, they were really excited to make something different, to showcase who they are, and really reflect their personality. You could tell when they were in the room with us, that they truly loved what they do. This is passion, folks…and you can see it reflected in the way that we designed their website. We used textures and a tone of voice that was right in step with who they are. You get that they are passionate about what they do without having to resort to screaming on the front page, ‘hey, the Captain is really passionate about swing…really.’
The bottom line is if your marketing is done right, passion is something that you should not have to tell your potential clients that you have. It should be something that they garner for themselves after being on your website.
Looking to get more out of your marketing with some fresh ideas? Give us a ring, and we’ll help you squeeze some real passion into your website.
**After this blog entry was written, my co-director pointed me to
Posted by: Joss Earl
Nov 27, 2012