Website Personality: Does Your Business Site Have Any?

If you spend any time interacting with social media and digital marketing experts and enthusiasts online, you’ll soon suss out that there’s an awful lot of personality bouncing around in their social media circles.

From intelligent introverts to effervescent extroverts, personalities abound across the social space.

So, I find it rather funny when I come across the websites of some positively peachy personalities – in any business, and find them antiseptic and almost clinical.

Website Personality: Does Your Site Have Any To Speak Of?

Recently saw this posted on Facebook, and immediately put on my devil’s advocate blogging hat:

A business website is all business. Your blog is where you can show the human side of your business.

While I do agree that your business website needs to put a professional foot forward, I don’t think that doing so to the extent that you completely lack personality is the smartest decision you can make.

While your website is the online premises of your business, it’s still the reflection of your brand and your brand is bolstered by your personality.

Design With The REAL You In Mind!

One of my topical categories on this blog is “Real You, Real Biz.”

Are you antiseptic, clinical, lacking color? Of course not. You’re so much more!

Are you warm and easily approachable? If so, why is your website color scheme cool and clinical? Why is the layout boxy with a lot of hard edges? Can you see how there’s a bit of disparity on display?

Forcing your personality to fit within specific boxes isn’t very genuine. Prospects and leads can smell disingenuous like something nasty on the bottom of their shoe.

Personality Beyond Your Blog!

If you only let your personality shine on your blog pages it’s potentially hidden from many site visitors. They don’t all click through to your articles.

Consider where your site visitors land? Is it your about page? Your FAQ? Your product/services page? Once you’ve figured out the point of entry you can consider how to add some professional, but still REAL you, personality.

Your bio, your about section, doesn’t have to read like a resume. While you want to showcase your expertise and your accomplishment, you can do so without boring your audience to tears.

You can share the REAL you with a photo of the REAL you. Professional head shots will always have their place, but they might not leave that prospect feeling warm and fuzzy. Absolutely use that ultra-professional image where it’s best suited, but a photo that shows who you really are as a person can absolutely have a place on your business website.

Consider Your Ideal Clients & Share What They’ll Want!

Of course you have to consider your industry and your ideal client. If your research deduces they want buttoned-up and extremely formal, then that’s absolutely the direction your site design should take.

But if your research shows that your ideal clients prefer engaging in business that shows a softer, warmer, funnier or more hands-on personality, then you need to embrace that mindset.

Professionalism doesn’t preclude personality.

Know, Like & Trust

It’s been said over and over again, by large sites like Inc. and Copyblogger, as well as the small fries like me: people want to do business with other people/businesses they know, like and trust.

Your professionalism, of course, adds to that trust. But knowing and liking you is directly tied into your brand and your business actually sharing a bit of the REAL you.

Do we tend to like those that are perfunctory, clinical, and always all about business? With the exception of the quirky and lovable Sheldon Cooper, not so much.

A little shared personality can go a long way toward creation a relationship based on prospects and clients liking the time they spend working with you, because you have allowed them to get to know you as a real person.

How’s Your Site Personality?

Do you think your site showcases the real you and gives your visitors a real idea of what it’s like to work with you, your team, your brand?

If the answer is no, how do you think you can remedy that lack of personality and create a better relationship with those looking to employ you? I’m always up for some discussion, so let’s do so via the comments.