These practices in particular are showing their age.
Even the most comfortable digital approaches need a good dusting now and then. Here are four things to put on the top of your site cleaning list to better serve potential foodservice buyers.
1 – PDFs: Not a substitute for digital content.
There’s something warm and fuzzy about a PDF. They feel real. They give us control: We can pack up everything we want to say in a tidy suitcase and then send it around the world, beautiful and unaltered.
What a PDF is and isn’t.
Everything that makes a PDF wonderful as a leave-behind or gated content makes it cumbersome as a substitute for saying what we need to say right on the site. PDFs are portable. They’re printable. But they’re not everything:
- Not mobile-friendly
- Not as good for SEO
- Not WCAG-compliant
- Not easy to update or track versions (final_final_v2.pdf … we’ve all seen it)
Put what matters right in your site content.
Think of PDFs like a checked bag. In general, travelers to your digital property also need content that’s more readily accessible, like a carry-on. There’s a place for the PDF, but if it’s trapping critical info, then release it freely into your searchable site content alongside the downloadable version.
2 – Stock photos of your food: Not the real thing.
Photography does much of the heavy lifting to show you understand your customers’ world.
A lens for differentiation.
No amount of stock photography or AI-generated imagery can accurately convey your product’s uniqueness. Invest in a custom photoshoot and make it real for your website (and beyond).
Gritty is OK.
Don’t let polish take the place of authenticity. Show photos of your foodservice packaging formats. Include simple videos showing back-of-house applications to round out the big beauty shots and mouthwatering recipes. Foodservice buyers need to see your product being used in a true foodservice context to be convinced.
And can we (as an industry) please stop using these guys on every foodservice website?
3 – Vague headlines: Clear as cacao.
The key messages on your site are the signposts. Look at every page and ask – does the copy reassure your audience they’re in the right place? Does it inspire them to take the next step? Can a foodservice director or operator easily see how to use (and ultimately buy) your product?
Use the 5-second rule.
Step back and scan the headlines and subheads. Are your positioning and purpose clear in five seconds? If not, be more precise.
Speak specifically to your audience.
Chefs and operators should be treated like any other audience, which means serving up content that’s tailored to their pain points and intended to drive a specific action on their part. Speak specifically to your foodservice offerings upfront.
4 – Slideshows: Stop burying good content.
Homepage slideshows have been the perennial favorite for the above-the-fold hero section for many brand sites. Yet they’re quite problematic when used recklessly. Packing all your good stuff into a slideshow is like sending it in a box to nowhere. It’s likely no one will see the CTA on slide 3.
Stay focused.
Lead with a single-minded idea that grounds users in where they are and compels them to take the next desired step, whether that’s getting the product detail they need, connecting with a rep, or requesting a sample. Don’t underestimate the user’s ability to scroll.
So go ahead, open that website tool closet and brush off the cobwebs. You can always call on us for a fresh perspective.
