How to Compete in a Culture of Sameness
Writing advertisements that make your company stand out begins by standing out.
Why Do All Company Websites Look the Same?
There are two people in life. Those who see the status quo in slow motion, and those who think ahead. Most people are in the first group … those who are ignorant that the status quo changes. Everybody’s advertising on Facebook and Instagram, saying the same things and making websites with the same landing pages with the same headlines drafted by the same machine-learning search engine.
They’re showing up in the same places, talking the same jargon, offering the same products or service. So, if you believe that you are going to compete with them by doing the same thing that they are, then you are mistaken.
Optimization. All company websites seem to have similar-looking websites. A neat little landing page with a blank background with bold, white headlines and subheadings, and a cute CTA graphic that says “learn more”. You may have even noticed some of that on my website.
At first glance, it seems like sameness happens because of people are sheep. Maybe partially.
A better explanation is because of something called optimization. Businesses want to make sure that their websites look like everybody else, not because they want to look like everybody else, but because there is some data that shows that these elements (minimalism, headline, CTA) are efficacious. So, the founders want to “optimize” their website with that look. In particular industries, it is important to do this because it is proven to “work”.
Efficacy. And, I put “work” in quotes because it is an abstract idea.
Ask yourself this question: “Do supplements work?”
It’s a common headline that publishers use when writing articles about the efficacy of supplements.
But, what exactly do you mean when you ask if a supplement “works”?
Works for what? For heart health? For energy? For weight? There are several places where a supplement may not “work”, but may be efficacious in one particular category.
Websites are a lot like this. Just because something “works” for one industry doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for your business.
The truth is, if you are a new business, looking like everybody else too much can make you look plain. There is no real communication in saying what everybody else is saying, and saying arbitrary things even if they make no sense just because it worked for someone else.
