Why do you need to focus your graphics on the problem first

Episode #20 of the Tiny Graphics Advent Calendar, published by Marius Popescu for De Amicis.

Gary Larson has a famous cartoon describing what a dog hears when we scold them:

Do you know what your customers hear when reading your website?

Another quick test you can do is to replace your company’s name with one of your competitors. Does your website work for them? Then you need to go over your content, make it about your customers, and bring your unique touch.

The easiest way to start with the problem is to include it in the title. Other options than using the title exist: bringing forward an element, a label, or the graphic’s legend. You can also use the caption or the text surrounding the graphic.

Start with the problem, and from your customer’s point of view

Talking about solutions and about your company is not interesting. People don’t adhere to a solution, not from the get-go, but they always recognize a problem they have.

When you built your product you had to take your customer’s point of view into account. You studied their problem and their environment, before putting a solution in their hands.

You need to do the same thing for your articles.

Your website is a solution to a problem. The same problem your product solves. So your pages should also speak your customer language and be helpful. Articles, white papers, live demo pages, they are all ways to help your customers in a smaller way. Show your empathy and understanding of the customer’s issues to builds trust.

Your turn now

Which is your customers’ biggest problem for which you can propose your help?

Send your questions and ideas via the Tiny Graphics mailing list.

PS

I hope you appreciated this Advent Calendar. Make sure to be on the list to receive the special gift in a couple of days.

Originally published at https://de-amicis.com on December 20, 2020.