One might think that the more items readers are able to “click on” in an email, the greater the response. However, that isn’t necessarily the case.  Your audience can be easily overwhelmed.  And sometimes fewer choices lead to greater response.

This was the case in an email newsletter I create for Clutter Coach Company, owned by certified professional organizer, Jane Carroo.  The company’s website (www.cluttercoach.com) is loaded with great content.  Subscribers to the Clutter Coach Company e-newsletter get special access to even more organizing content online. So the e-newsletter serves to drive traffic to the website and also keeps Clutter Coach Company top of mind among prospects and customers.

We decided to promote the online content in the e-newsletter by including a list of organizing articles. At first we provided a complete laundry list of nearly 30 articles in each e-newsletter.

However, taking a lesson from Jane, we decided to ”simplesize” the list, and instead offered six general categories of interest, which then led readers to a list of related articles in the category. The click-thru rate jumped 10 full percentage points with the first issue – from 24% to 34%.

B-2-B magazine editors have experienced the same phenomenon when it comes to new products issues. Reducing the number of products featured in an issue results in increased reader response.  A Top 100 Products list, for example, generated more response than a prior issue that included less information on several hundred products.  This list had value and represented only those products the editors and readers found worthy.

These experiences remind me that while it’s great to have a lot of content, it is equally important to organize it well.  Organization equals value to busy people. Just ask Jane.

Organize the structure of your site so that visitors don’t have to navigate through information that isn’t relevant to them. Guide them through the process. Weed through non-essential information so your site visitors won’t have to. Organize your content so as not to overwhelm.

Have you had similar results when you chose to pare down your choices? Share your thoughts here.