How long should my website be?

A quick scan of Google shows this answer is all over the board, but as the internet shifts towards instant gratification are we updating our websites fast enough??

So how long should your site be??

Crafty Copy in the UK says - “Take if from a professional website copywriter: when it comes to SEO, a web page should be at least 300 words long. “

Whereas Whittington Consulting says - “The general rule of thumb for content length and density ranges greatly, from a minimum of 200 to maximum of 1,000 words per page, depending on the topic complexity and objectives.”

Maybe…just maybe….there is not a general rule of thumb. Let's go over some facts about human nature and then I will close with my opinion, and what I suggest to my clients.?

The average time spent on a website is 45 seconds and the average words per minute someone can read is between 200-300 WPM, so let's say 175 words in 45 seconds. A study of Emojis in 2020 revealed that 92% of the population are using emojis to communicate daily, meaning you can display complex thoughts in less space.

Then let's teleport to 2024, where the average time spent on TikTok is 95 minutes per day versus Netflix which is currently less than an hour a day, I have days during the week when my TV is not on at all. TikTok is a representation that you can convey complex thoughts in a highly stimulant environment in less time than it takes to read them. However, TikTok also shows us that high visual stimulation will keep people engaged longer.?

But what does this mean for your website??

There needs to be a heavy use of visual stimulants that are relevant to the site, I lean on TikTok for this one, and say try to get any video on your site in under one minute - get to the point! - Avoid using art for the sake of ‘filling the page’ and make sure it is adding to the experience on your site.?

I agree with the sentiment that most LANDING PAGES should be around 200-300 words, personally, mine is about 325 and I am in the process of cutting it down. I believe that the text is more reliant on the buyer's journey versus a ‘general rule of thumb.’

Your hero text at the top should be one sentence presenting the problem you solve and one sentence telling me how you solve it. From there you can tell me more, about who you work with and the next steps. Each section needs to draw me in to learn more.?

When it comes to my own clients, I talk through their buyer's journey and how they are going to use that buyer's journey to get to the next step.

• Product lead growth - fast and furious to converting
• B2B - send them down a rabbit hole to learn what they might be struggling with (based on the content they click) before contact capture.?
• Marketing/ General awareness site - high visual stimulant with easily sharable pieces. (Timewaster 500 is a great example)?

My best advice is to break free of your preconceived notion of what a website should look like, and focus heavily on what your buyer is going to need to convert to the next step. If you need more information on making it clear, I have outlined the things I suggest customers use on their site here.?

Cheers - Zach?