KISS, please

I remember a day several years ago at Microsoft when my manager and I went to meet with a VIP in another building to pitch one of our technologies in what was then called the Unified Communications product group. It may seem strange that we would be marketing internally to a different group at MS, but that’s the way things work over there: silos.

Anyway, throughout our presentation, our colleague would repeatedly light up and say, “Yes! Kiss!” Not wanting to appear ignorant, I kept silent and smiled during these semi-outbursts, having no idea what he was talking about. On the way back to our office, I asked my manager to explain and boy, did he get a good chuckle out of my innocent confusion.

KISS is an acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Although I am not sure how appropriate it is to use the word “stupid,” the term is very useful to keep in mind when composing copy for a website. You want to be sure to cover the basics of who, what, when, where, why, and how. And it is also a good idea to add a personal touch to your messaging as well as copy that speaks to what makes your offering unique.

Beyond that, unless you are explaining very complex concepts or systems, or writing for academia, it is wise to observe the “less is more” approach on your website. With more and more frequency, people use their phones to access the web: The Pew Internet Project found that as of May 2013, 34 percent of cell Internet users go online mostly using their phones, and not using some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer. That number is most likely even higher today.

It is difficult to absorb large chunks of content on websites, especially if they are viewed on smartphones. If it is vital to your business to include comprehensive swathes of information, consider presenting such content on second level pages rather up front and center. Regularly monitor page metrics too in order to see what your audience is accessing. You might find it beneficial to cull pages that see little-to-no traffic.

So, go ahead and KISS. You'll be happy you did.