photo credit: veganstraightedge

I’m getting to do a big, top-to-bottom rewrite/rework/revamp for a non-profit agency website.

It’s information-intensive on purpose. Visitors who visit this site want a lot of information well before they send an email or pick-up the phone. The current site, although ancient in web years, still gets credible marks by visitors.

As I’m wont to do, I asked the client to survey their staff for their website wish lists and fave sites. Invariably one or more of those surveyed will comment about the amount of information on the site and ask if we couldn’t whittle it down some and go more visual.

Too much info. How many times do copywriters like us hear that, I wonder?

As I was pondering these remarks, a shot of a single-malt whiskey at the ready, I happened to gaze upon the food section of The Washington Post Magazine. (My husband and kids are foodies. I just like to eat.) This article segment caught my eye:

What People Want from a Restaurant Website

We’re not talking about a fancy-schmancy eatery, just your basic restaurant. I found this list very interesting. I’ll tell you why after you review the list itself:

• descriptions of dress codes
• driving instructions
• online reservations
• current menus, up-to-date prices
• Metro accessibility information
• hours of operation
• photos of the restaurant’s entrance and interior
• information regarding special needs
• wheelchair-accessibility
• availability of large-type menus
• substitutions allowed for those with allergies

That’s a lot of info. I’m sure given enough time we all could add more to this list. (I’d annotate driving instructions with a link to Google Maps or Mapquest and add something about kid-friendliness.)

Consider the wisdom in this quote: “With the right information, those who cannot be handled well will avoid the restaurant” instead of showing up and having a difficult meal, “then giving bad reviews to everyone they know.”

Happier, more contented customers? Sounds like a good thing. But wait, there’s more …

Diners DON’T want restaurant websites with a lot of flash, animation and distracting music. In other words, they don’t want anything that interferes with their ability to get the information they need to make a confident decision to choose between Joe’s Hot Eats and Le Circ.

Could it be that there is no such thing as a restaurant site — or any site for that matter — with too much info?

I think so. I think the biggest challenge we face is not how much info we have - we could all probably have more of it — it’s how to best organize our info in ways that are most useful and actionable by visitors.

Imagine for a moment what your own prospects/customers/clients want to know about your product/service. Are you stingy with the info or do you serve it up generously and with ample portions? Do you organize the “courses” logically or just throw a big mess on the table and expect your folks to pick through the chaos?

Let your competition serve up pretty, but ultimately unsatisfying fare. Treat your site like it’s an ongoing dinner party. Bulk-up your pantry, offer generous, colorful portions - and display your handiwork on pristine white plates that don’t distract — and keep the courses coming.

photo credit: bandita

I’ll admit that this year was a first in many ways.

One of them was that for the first time in 21 years of business I did not send a postal-related gift to clients. (I would spend weeks looking for the right postal-type chotchke every year. One year I sent little post-office shaped teapots I found in an Irish mail order catalog. It was fabulous.)

I also, again for the first time, didn’t send regular holiday cards to friends/family or business associates. I sent a few personal emails to close friends and colleagues, but that’s about all.

I noticed that others, too - family and business folks - followed suit. My biz and home mail boxes were pretty damn empty and practically echoed. Maybe it’s my age, but seeing an empty mailbox at Christmas made me a little sad.

How about you? USPS reports card volume was way down compared to 2007. Were you part of the problem - like me - or did you suck it up and send those holiday greetings? Maven wants to know …

Survey ends 1/2/09 at the stroke of midnight.

Where did the Tropicana go? I didn’t see the familiar “straw through the orange” large visual format. I didn’t ’see’ Tropicana.

However, when I slowed down to read the packaging I found Tropicana in its new packaging. Packaging, to my eye, that makes this premium brand look like a house brand, but as premium pricing.

Hmm.

I’ve talked before how consumers will see a product before they read it. Big visuals with the expected colors help consumers find their favorite brands. Tropicana’s now classic orange with the straw look - originally derived from a super-smart TV campaign a zillion years ago - made it easy for me to find it on the shelves without having to stop, scan and read labels.

I found myself confused and annoyed. Think other consumers will, too?

I buy some house brands and look for the store logo to help me find them. I buy house brands for value. I buy premium brands and willingly pay more for them, because I don’t view them as pure commodities, like sugar and flour. I’ll pay more for better taste, fresher ingredients, even smarter, more convenient packaging.

But this? No, I don’t get it. Granted, I’m not a brand marketing strategist, but as a direct marketing maven, I do know that you don’t want to stop your prospect’s momentum toward a sale. You don’t want your prospects confused. You don’t want them thinking too hard about whether or not to proceed to sale.

You can read Tropicana’s own explanation here.

What do you think? Are you convinced this was a good marketing move or something more akin to the New Coke fiasco?

Feel free to sing outloud with your friends and family. (Don’t be shy. Have a little egg nog. Singing always goes better with egg nog … and don’t forget the cookies. Lots of cookies.)