Four Ways to Avoid Common Staffing Website Blunders

Common Website Staffing BlundersA webpage is an important business piece of your branding and marketing efforts, of course. It can act as a potential candidate’s or client’s first impression of your staffing company, as well as an important tool for them to learn about what you offer for them and what makes you special. If it doesn’t attract their attention or answer their questions, they may very well move on to one of your competitors. That’s why your staffing website needs to be clear, concise, and informative. Below is some guidance for an effective website, and some examples of staffing website errors to be avoided.

HINT #1: Make Clear What You Do

This seems so obvious. But it’s shocking how many staffing websites are unnavigable labyrinths of twisted architecture and opaque industry jargon. As a staffing company, your job is offering solutions. Effective ones at that. Your staffing website needs to reflect this ethos. If it isn’t clear and concise—if your mother can’t find her way around and understand it—consider reorganizing the layout or architecture. And whatever you do, don’t fill your pages with jargon and strung-together keywords. It turns people off, especially if they aren’t familiar with staffing services. Not that you should talk down to your audience, but make things clear and easily understandable.

HINT #2: Make Your Organization Real

People who don’t understand how you work, or how staffing companies work in general, may arrive at your site with healthy skepticism, on guard for scams. Don’t let their suspicions fester. Explain how your organization works, show who pays whom, and who is employed by whom. If people are aware of how you operate, they are less likely to be distrustful.

HINT #3: Temper Your Tone

Don’t fall into the trap of recycling materials for clients and candidates. Each group is looking for separate services, so present your materials in such a way. Tone reflects an understanding of your audience. Find the right tone, to prevent off-putting results. On that same note, avoid hyperbole. If you’ve won awards or have achieved other notable accomplishments, by all means say so. But the “greatest” this and the “best” that can have the opposite effect from the one intended. No one trusts a shameless self-promoter. As a general rule, avoid words that end in “est.”

HINT #4: Vindicate Your Vocabulary

Jargon is the enemy of understanding. Of course, your clients and candidates are smart people with a sufficient grasp on vocabulary to understand your terminology. But does “staff augmentation” really make more sense than “adding employees?” This is just one example; there are hundreds of overly complicated business terms. Although it may seem like business terminology is the best approach to sound professional, often it has the opposite effect and can turn people off your staffing website completely. Also, the repetition of certain phrases is tiring (and can make your search engine optimization efforts painfully transparent). Rather than adding a professional sheen, web pages can feel familiar and repetitious through such forced terminology and catchphrases.

If you run a staffing company, seriously consider analyzing your staffing website. Make sure it is accessible to all potential clients and candidates, whoever they may be. Don’t labor the page with wordy technicalities and overwrought jargon. Remember to make sure that your staffing website reflects your staffing company, and that passion for job matchmaking (or “staffing solutions!”).