Pretty websites don't do well.

They rank low, accomplish very little, and are not useful.

Pretty websites have pretty (and large) pictures, minimal/stagnant content and few words.

Pretty pictures are not inherently bad, but the other two characteristics of pretty websites are damaging.

Take Johnson & Johnson (in June 2009), for example.

Johnson & Johnson is the 2nd largest pharmaceutical in the world.

If you google "pharmaceuticals," Johnson & Johnson ranks very poorly.

Pharmaceuticals ranked ahead of Johnson & Johnson include GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, OSI, Bayer, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Elan, and Millennium. These pharmaceuticals are all smaller than John & Johnson, and OSI, Elan, and Millennium are not even on the same level as Johnson & Johnson.

So why does Johnson & Johnson do so poorly?

Minimal/Stagnant Content

Johnson & Johnson has only three content items.

Besides looking pretty, their main page provides very little value for the visitor.

Now take a look at GlaxoSmithKline.

Its main page has 3 corporate releases, 4 items for investors, 4 items for clinical trials, 9 items on global health concerns (such as obesity, smoking, and AIDS), 2 news items, 5 items for potential employees, and 2 articles about the flu.

GSK might not look as pretty as J&J, but it provides value to potential employees, potential and current investors, the media, and the public. And GSK certainly ranks higher than J&J.

J&J's content is also stagnant. The three items they have are not likely to change often.

For GSK, the nature of their content (especially news items) lends itself to be updated more often.

Frequently updated content gives users a reason to come back to the website. And search engines have a strong preference for fresh content over stagnant content.

Few Words

The best websites have lots of words.

They are useful to the visitor and allow you to accomplish your goals.

In the online world, what you have to say is the most important thing.

Even for banner ads, one of the most important factors is displaying compelling words.

There are many websites that exist solely for the purpose of selling their products. They usually sell ebooks that promise to teach you how to get rich overnight or lose weight miraculously.

These less-than-reputable websites all have one thing in common. All of them contain a long main page with lots of words.

We should not strive to look like these disreputable websites. But the proven fact is that (many) words are effective for whatever goal you wish to achieve.

Whether your website's goal is to sell products, obtain leads, establish relationships, or simply disseminate information, the best way to accomplish those goals is usually through lots of words.

Final Words

According to Alexa, Yahoo! is the 2nd most popular website in the world.

Yahoo! is not pretty at all. It is a messy amalgamation many content items expressed through many words.

MSN, a similarly messy website, ranks 6th.

AOL, imdb, and BBC are equally messy, and they are ranked in the top 50.

Wikipedia is ranked 7th. It is an extremely text heavy website with very few pretty pictures.

Digg just looks ugly and unprofessional. It simply displays a list of articles. Yet it is an extremely effective website that wields tremendous influence on the web.

Only one type of website should be allowed to look pretty. They are websites that exist mainly to offer their technology. Google (the most popular website in the world) is an example. And such websites should be pretty.

Other websites should not.

Businesses like Johnson & Johnson view their website as a pretty placeholder. That's a mistake.

Every organization should treat its website as a point of contact for important stakeholders and use it as an effective marketing tool.

For questions and comments regarding this article, online advertising, the Faith & Family audience, or Faithadnet, do not hesitate to contact us at marketing@faithadnet.com.