In a world filled with AI-generated content, polished templates, stock photography, and businesses that all seem to say the same thing, authenticity has become one of the most valuable things you can bring to your website.
Your website should show people who you are, who your company is, and how you help the people you serve.
That doesn’t mean your website needs to be perfect. In fact, sometimes being a little imperfect is what makes you more relatable.
For small and medium-sized businesses especially, people want to know there are real people behind the business. They want to know who they’re working with, what you believe, what makes you different, and whether they can trust you.
And trust starts with connection.
Let people see the real you
One of the biggest mistakes I see on websites is businesses hiding behind a polished, corporate facade.
Everything sounds professional. Everything looks perfect. But where are the people?
Who owns the business?
Who will I actually be working with?
What are they like?
What makes them different?
For a solopreneur, your personality needs to shine through. You are the business. You’re the person your client is hiring, so they need to know who you are.
As a business grows, that changes. A larger company may want to focus less on the personality of the owner and more on the people, culture, and personality of the organization as a whole.
But regardless of company size, people still want to connect with people.
And connection builds trust.
Don’t be afraid to show your imperfections
We have become accustomed to seeing incredibly polished content everywhere.
Perfect photos.
Perfect videos.
Perfectly scripted social media posts.
But perfection isn’t necessarily what makes you likable.
Sometimes it’s the opposite.
If you make a mistake while recording a video, you don’t always have to throw it away. If you stumble over a word, maybe leave it in.
You’re human.
Let people see that.
I’ve found that a simple, genuine video recorded on your phone can sometimes create more connection than a highly produced video because it feels like you’re actually talking to someone.
Professional doesn’t have to mean impersonal.
Show your face
I’m a huge believer in using real photography instead of stock photography whenever possible.
There is a connection that happens when you can actually see the person behind the business.
Not a smiling stock photo of someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the company.
The real owner.
The real employees.
The real building.
The real work.
The real people.
Think about it from the customer’s perspective. If you’re about to spend money with a business, don’t you want to know who you’re dealing with?
We’re surrounded by scams and impersonal online businesses. I’m not saying every business using a stock photo is a scam, but there is a certain level of trust that comes from seeing the actual person you’re considering working with.
If you’re not willing to show your own photo, it can create a question in someone’s mind: Who is actually behind this business?
Real photography helps answer that question.
Don’t hide the person behind the business
I also believe businesses should show some of the person behind the professional title.
Your hobbies.
Your passions.
Your interests.
Your community involvement.
Your pets.
Your travels.
Your stories.
Whatever makes you, you.
I’ve experienced this personally.
I share my martial arts journey and the fact that I’m a black belt. I’ve had people want to connect with me simply because they want to meet the “black belt martial arts website designer.”
That’s not something I planned as a marketing strategy.
It’s simply part of who I am.
And that’s the point.
People will connect with you because of things you have in common. They may be interested in your hobbies. They may relate to your story. They may simply find you interesting.
That’s what networking is about: connecting.
How do you connect if you don’t share who you are?
Don’t hide those things. Show them.
Authenticity builds trust
The more authentic you are, the more people trust you.
It’s the old know, like, trust principle.
People want to know you.
They want to like you.
And eventually, they want to trust you enough to do business with you.
If something feels inauthentic, people can often sense it. They may not be able to explain exactly what feels wrong, but their gut tells them something isn’t quite right.
When your website, social media, and other marketing actually sound like you, people get a much better sense of who they’re dealing with.
And that matters.
Your website shouldn’t be your resume
This is one of the biggest website mistakes I see.
Businesses treat their website like a resume.
This is what I do.
This is what I do.
This is what I do.
But your potential client isn’t necessarily looking for a list of everything you offer.
They’re looking for a solution to a problem.
Let’s use my business as an example.
I design websites. That’s what I do. But that’s not really the benefit I provide.
People come to me because they’re embarrassed by their website. That’s an emotion.
They’re stressed because they don’t understand technology. That’s an emotion.
They’re worried that they’re doing something wrong. That’s an emotion.
So I don’t just want my website to say, “I design websites.”
I want to say, “I can take away that embarrassment. I can take away that stress. I can help you know that your website is doing what it needs to do.”
That’s much more meaningful to a potential client.
Your website should talk about the problem your ideal client is experiencing and how you help solve it.
Talk to your ideal client, not everyone
I see businesses hesitate to share their personality or opinions because they’re afraid they’ll alienate someone.
But here’s the thing:
Not everyone is your client.
And that’s okay.
Your ideal client is going to connect with your personality, your quirks, your opinions, your stories, and your message.
The people who aren’t a good fit probably won’t.
Wouldn’t you rather have more of the people who are actually right for your business?
I want ideal clients.
I want the people who rave about me in rooms I’m not in.
That’s the goal.
Your website should help attract those people.
AI doesn’t have to make your content less personal
Obviously, we’re living in a very different content environment than we were a few years ago.
I use AI.
I believe AI can be an incredibly useful tool for creating content.
But I don’t want AI to replace me.
I’ll use AI to help organize ideas, develop content, or get a draft started. But I always put my own opinions into what I write.
That’s the part AI can’t provide for me.
My experiences.
My stories.
My opinions.
My perspective.
My personality.
That’s what makes the content mine.
And I think this is becoming even more important as AI-generated content becomes more common.
If your blog, FAQ, newsletter, and website copy could have been written for literally any business in your industry, you’ve missed an opportunity.
Don’t just publish information.
Add your perspective to it.
Your opinions can help AI understand your expertise, too
People are increasingly using AI tools to find businesses and get answers to their questions.
That means your website needs to provide more than a list of services.
It needs to clearly communicate:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Who you help
- Where you work
- What problems you solve
- What makes you different
- What you believe
- What you know
- What questions your customers are asking
Your opinions and expertise matter here.
Put them into your blogs. Put them into your FAQs. Put them into your newsletters. Answer the questions your customers actually ask. Don’t simply publish AI-generated answers. Give people your answer. That is what helps establish you as the go-to person for what you do.
Websites are getting smaller and more focused
Another major shift I’m seeing in website design is that websites are becoming smaller.
For years, the philosophy seemed to be:
The more pages, the better.
I don’t believe that anymore.
People have shorter attention spans. They want answers quickly. They don’t necessarily want to read through six paragraphs to figure out whether you can help them.
I’m a big fan of making website content easier to scan.
Use:
- Short paragraphs
- Headings
- Bullet points
- Clear calls to action
- Concise explanations
- Video when appropriate
The goal isn’t to say less just for the sake of saying less.
The goal is to make it easier for people to find what they need.
Use video to make a connection
Video is another great way to make a website feel more personal.
And it doesn’t necessarily need to be a professionally produced video.
Depending on your business, a simple phone video can work beautifully.
On a homepage, you might explain:
Who do you help?
What problem do you solve?
How do you help them?
What should they do next?
Talk directly to the pain points your ideal clients are experiencing. Then give them a clear call to action. The important thing isn’t whether the video cost thousands of dollars to produce. It’s whether the person watching it feels like you’re talking directly to them.
FAQs are back
Interestingly, we’re also seeing something that was once considered passé become important again: FAQs.
FAQs are valuable because they’re useful to humans. Someone has a question. You answer it. Simple.
But they’re also an excellent way to provide the specific information that search engines and AI systems need to understand your business.
The same goes for blogging.
Your primary website pages should be easy to scan and focused on your customers. Your blog can go deeper. That’s where you can answer questions, share your expertise, explain complicated topics, tell stories, and give your opinions.
Think of it this way:
Your website helps people quickly understand you. Your deeper content helps them understand your expertise.
Authenticity is your competitive advantage
There are a lot of websites out there that look good.
There are a lot of businesses offering similar services.
And now there is an enormous amount of content being generated by AI.
So what makes you different? You do.
Your experiences.
Your personality.
Your opinions.
Your stories.
Your people.
Your quirks.
Your approach.
Your way of solving problems.
That’s the stuff that can’t be copied exactly. So stop thinking about your website as a resume. Don’t just tell people what you do. Tell them why it matters to them.
Talk about their pain points. Show them how you can help. Tell them what makes you different. Let them meet the people behind the business. And don’t be afraid to let your personality show.
Because the goal isn’t to create a website that everyone likes. The goal is to create a website that makes the right people say:
“These are my people.”
Those are the people who become your clients. Those are the people who trust you. And those are the people who rave about you in rooms you’re not in. That’s what an authentic website should do.
Your website should sound like you, look like you, and connect with the people you were meant to serve.
Not sure how to make that happen?
Schedule a consultation with Waterfront Graphic Design, and let’s talk about how your website can better represent who you are, what makes you different, and how you help your ideal clients.