Let me just put some things in perspective for a minute, which means some random yet credible thoughts coming.  We are an on demand society.  We get what we want when we want, as quickly as possible.  Look at Netflix, Amazon, FedEx, I mean come on.  We don’t even have to watch commercials anymore on TV with a DVR.  Wait, I am dating myself.  We don’t even need a DVR with smart televisions that can stream Hulu.  The point is we don’t want to wait.  Follow me?  Look at mobile.  Look at how fast it is to download and get information.  What about Facebook?  Facebook is changing the way we get our information.  I don’t even have to watch the local news anymore because I am able to see quick headline status updates when I want too.  Twitter?   I like Twitter even better because of it’s limited characters.  Explain to me what I need to know quickly and with as little words as possible.  Don’t make me wait.  OK.  So now answer me the million dollar question here.  Why are people still loading up their website with content?  I don’t care what company you work for, who you are, what you are offering, only two people read you content; the proof reader and sometimes the author.

Another scenario, you and your CEO are riding the elevator together and you decide to use this 30 second to make a pitch about a new marketing campaign.   If that elevator door opens and you are still haven’t even gotten to your pitch yet, it’s over.  You have a limited amount of time with a busy individual who is not in the elevator to get a marketing pitch.  It has to be short, sweet, and too the point.  You have to capture their interest in the campaign enough for them to want to hear more.   This same concept applies to your customer that has decided to click an online banner that takes them to a promotional landing page on your website.  You have less than 30 seconds to get their attention or they are gone.  The online banner ad captured their interest, and the point of your landing page is to keep their attention.  Too much content, they are gone.  This is a fact, and if you don’t believe me try some A/B testing with landing pages.  The numbers will be astonishing.

I have mentioned before, it has to be a comfort thing.  Some companies feel the need to plaster all their pages with useless, relevant content because it is a place to house it.  No one, even them, are reading it.  Your message has to be short and sweet and easy for the customer, which can be done with a small amount of content.  A good rule of thumb is this; take the amount of content you have on your site, cut it in half, and cut it in half again.  Your ROI will thank me.

For more on site usability and customer experience, check our my post Don’t Make me Think.