{"id":736,"date":"2015-12-01T14:31:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-01T19:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharpinnovations.com\/blog\/?p=736"},"modified":"2016-02-05T13:30:32","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T18:30:32","slug":"politeness-is-always-a-virtue-especially-for-websites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharpinnovations.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/politeness-is-always-a-virtue-especially-for-websites\/","title":{"rendered":"Politeness Is Always A Virtue — Especially For Websites"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas is coming, and Christmas means gifts. People will be giving, and people will be receiving. Recently, I was discussing gift-giving etiquette with some business colleagues, and it turned out to be an interesting exchange, particularly when the conversation turned to the proper etiquette of receiving<\/em> a gift.<\/p>\n

\"gift Because of the hyper-sensitive attitudes of many people these days, one business owner asked how she can be sure that she won\u2019t offend anyone with a gift that she gives. I said that my belief is that the person who should be concerned with not offending anyone is the person who receives the gift. It is, after all, a gift, and no one gives something with the intention of offending a person. <\/p>\n

In the business world, a gift is a way of saying, \u201cThank you\u201d for the service that someone has delivered, and gifts to business associates are much different from gifts to family members, friends, and even co-workers. In the business world, it\u2019s possible to work with a customer or a supplier for years without knowing every little detail of that person\u2019s life, and that lack of knowledge could result in an offensive gift if the recipient happens to be a member of the \u201cI\u2019m always looking for a way to be offended\u201d class.<\/p>\n

Suppose, for instance, that I write web copy for a client whom I\u2019ve met in person only once and whom I know primarily as a voice on the phone. If I happen to write some copy that she really likes during the year, she might decide to send me a Christmas present to show her deep appreciation for my insightful use of interjections and noun clauses.<\/p>\n

\"mountain She\u2019s met me only that one time, and she certainly doesn\u2019t know whether my passion in life is watching pro wrestling or climbing mountains, so it\u2019s possible that she could buy me something that would fall outside my rather narrow range of interests. For example, cheese is a popular present, but it\u2019s not a great gift for a person with lactose intolerance. Suppose, though, that this client decides to send me a block of highly expensive Venezuelan Beaver Cheese. How would I react?<\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019d simply say, \u201cThank you. That\u2019s very kind. Some of my friends have said wonderful things about those Venezuelan Beavers.\u201d To do anything less would be terribly impolite to someone who\u2019s showing appreciation for what I\u2019ve done, and if a gift doesn\u2019t thrill me, I can always become a re-gifter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And so, you finally ask, what does gift-receiving etiquette have in common with a business\u2019s website? Well, the common bond is politeness, which is always a good thing in life and in business. Accepting a gift graciously, even if it doesn\u2019t exactly thrill me, is a display of politeness, and politeness is something that\u2019s lacking from many websites.<\/p>\n

A website that wastes potential customers\u2019 time is impolite, and one way in which many websites waste visitors\u2019 time is by failing to show clearly what the business does and how the business can improve a potential customer\u2019s life. For example, an insurance company that works only with commercial customers should make that distinction completely clear on the landing page.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s just a case of clearly presenting the important little details. A restaurant or any sort of retail business that doesn\u2019t list its hours and phone number prominently is not being polite to customers and potential customers.<\/p>\n

\"Displaying <\/a>
Displaying your hours and phone number prominently on the homepage can make it easier for your customers and provide them a better experience with your website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When a website rambles on about the owner\u2019s self-centered belief that he has the greatest business in this quadrant of the universe, that\u2019s impolite. And websites that aren\u2019t mobile-friendly are impolite because they\u2019re difficult to read and to navigate on mobile devices.<\/p>\n

Politeness is always a valuable business tool, whether it applies to gift-receiving etiquette or to your website. The team at Sharp Innovations can\u2019t help you with your gift-receiving techniques, but we can make sure that your website is extremely polite to all your visitors. So take a look at your site and see if it has good manners. If it doesn\u2019t, call Sharp Innovations for a valuable upgrade to your site\u2019s politeness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas is coming, and Christmas means gifts. People will be giving, and people will be receiving. Recently, I was discussing gift-giving etiquette with some business colleagues, and it turned out to be an interesting exchange, particularly when the conversation turned to the proper etiquette of receiving a gift. 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