PI Website Mistake #1
Putting too much information on your website

Believe it or not, most people don’t have the time to read. In 2013, Chartbeat analyzed several websites and found that people only read about 50% of an article.

This trend is something that we’ve seen in the content and websites we manage. We use a multitude of tracking tools and found that websites with less text and more “sustenance” had higher conversion rates than websites with never ending walls of text.

You can read Slate’s article on this topic here – You won’t finish this article. 

If you want more proof, Jakob Nielsen used eye tracking software on a research study which found that users read, at most, 20% of the words during an average visit.

What this means for us is that we need to simplify the content on our websites. In a book by Steve Krug called “Don’t Make Me Think!,” Krug talks about the common-sense approach to web usability. He stated that people don’t read, they scan.  This makes sense – especially if you’re targeting the public.

As a visitor to a Private Investigator’s website: I’m in distress, my spouse might be cheating on me, things are falling apart at home, and I just want someone to help. At this point I have two options – I can read a novel on your website talking about how difficult infidelity is, the different signs of infidelity, how infidelity destroys families, etc., or I can land on a website that sells me the service I’m looking for.

Put yourself in their shoes with a completely different market – burger joints. When you hear about the “best burger in town,” what do you expect to find on their website?

A burger is a specific type of sandwich that consists of a bun, a cooked beef patty, and other ingredients such as cheese, onion slices, lettuce, condiments, etc.

Who cares? I know what a burger is, but why are you the best burger in town?

Well, we have been making burgers for a long time. I started my burger making career in 1990 as a cook. 20 years later, I decided to open my own burger joint.

If we look at those statements, we were never sold on a burger. Instead, we were educated on the terminology of a burger and history of the burger joint owner. This is the same mistake private investigators make time and time again. Most of the websites we have worked on try too hard to educate the visitor on what a surveillance is or how an investigation works. Instead, we should focus on what they’re going to get from us.

If you suspect infidelity is taking place, our private investigators can be available in as little as two hours. Give us a call for a free confidential consultation, so we can figure out where you are, get the specifics on your case, and see what we can do for you.  While we can’t guarantee the outcome of the case, we can guarantee to work with your best interest in mind until your specific situation is resolved.

I hope this article helps you in your quest for what to include/exclude on your own private investigator website. I’d love to hear your input – and if you need anything else, don’t hesitate to send us a message.