Tips for making your website visitors feel like they belong

Imagine that you are standing in front of two office doors. One has tinted glass that prevents you from looking inside and overly formal signs that speak to you like an outsider. The other door is made of clear glass. You can see the people and activity inside. Signage provides a glimpse into the company’s purpose and invites you to learn more.

Which door would you walk through?

If you’re not sure your Bioresearch organization’s website says we’re ready to do business, you might gain some insight from the BioPharma that’s behind door number 2.

Leadership Marketing Profile:
The RNA people, German BioPharma, CureVac

Occasionally we profile Bioresearch brands that are particularly successful in their approach to marketing. And while no one website can do everything perfectly, CureVac’s website does a lot of things right when it comes to bridging the gap between complex science and making visitors feel welcome as they enter its virtual Institution.

CureVac is a clinical stage BioPharma that is looking to share its science with a variety of audiences. Some of the visitors to its website may be doing early-stage due diligence before investing or partnering with CureVac. Of course, those visitors want to know that the organization’s science is sound, but they also want to know that CureVac’s leaders and researchers are personally invested and passionate about the work they do. Allowing for a degree of informality in the tone and design of the website helps express that passion in an authentic way.

Here are my top 3 takeaways from CureVac’s approach:

Be Welcoming
If we go back to the office door analogy, the homepage of CureVac’s website is like the second door: It tells you exactly what CureVac does (“We fight for human health”), who works there (“The RNA people®”) and what you might find if you choose to go in (Science presented in ways you can understand). Together, these elements make a variety of visitors feel comfortable from the start, welcoming them in to the world of RNA.

There are many subtle but powerful elements that make CureVac’s homepage so approachable: A light, friendly, and easy-to-read font choice; short, clear sentences that describe their research in simple terms; and a human element everywhere you look. In fact, the word “human” is repeated several times in the short copy and tagline, and great care is taken to use human-centric visuals that support the message.

CureVac’s homepage also features a user-friendly design that is easy for visitors to navigate. Visitors can learn more about the science of RNA, see what the media is saying about CureVac, or delve deeper into the company itself by clicking on the “Discover” tab. Whichever way they go, visitors are met with cues that tell them CureVac is open for business and ready to share its science with the world. These cues are what make the site so accessible.

Be Accessible
Biomedical Nonprofits, BioPharmas and Life Science organizations need to appeal to a wide range of audiences, whether they are donors, stakeholders, VC investors, scientific partners, customers or the general media/public.

Luckily, all of these audiences have one need in common: To understand how an organization’s research can benefit our lives and the greater good. For this reason, making your scientific research understandable and accessible is critical for reaching funding or revenue goals.

CureVac’s website tackles this challenge head-on by simplifying the “who, what and how” of its research at every point. Throughout the website, the copy serves to quickly and concisely summarize what RNA research is and why it matters to human health. For instance, instead of the typical “About Us” section of corporate-speak, a pulsating “Discover” tab invites visitors further into the website to learn more about who “the RNA people” are.

Once a visitor chooses to discover more, an RNA-like web of content options appears, allowing him or her to dig deeper into CureVac’s Mission, Science, Milestones, and more—and it is all presented in clear language anyone can understand.

The content is highly engaging and personal. Choose “The RNA People,” and you will find yourself face-to-face with photos of actual CureVac employees along with quotes that explain why they believe in CureVac’s RNA science. Choose to learn more about CureVac’s Mission, and you won’t be met with a corporate-sounding paragraph created by committee. Instead, you will see the plainspoken headline “A truly awesome foundation.” Read on and you’ll find out more about the passion that drives CureVac’s research.

Every step in the progression through CureVac’s website feels like it is part of the fabric of who they are as a Biopharma. These authentic touches do not detract from the seriousness of the Science; they simply make it more accessible. Scientists and non-scientists alike will go away with a clear understanding of the important work being done at CureVac, making it much more likely that they will buy-in and support it.

Be Human
The greatest strength of CureVac’s website is its natural, almost understated approach to communicating with its audience. CureVac’s brand isn’t that of a faceless, heartless corporate entity. Rather, it has an innovative, casual vibe that immediately makes you feel like real people are on the other side of the digital divide. Their tagline “The RNA People®” is a great indicator of how they approach marketing. People first, science second.

Part of what makes CureVac’s website so human is its unpretentious brand voice (i.e. the way its copy is written). CureVac isn’t trying to be the “smartest person in the room.” It is more like the facilitator of an inclusive conversation about the amazing power of RNA Science. There is no doubt about the Organization’s expertise in the area of RNA, yet the technical language and science-forward explanations are kept to a minimum. If a science insider wanted to learn more, there are many links and other opportunities, but the site is written with the average reader or investor in mind.

The visual approach used in the website also serves to balance technical information with a bit of entertainment. Visitors move through the site with ease as information shifts fluidly on and off the page at the touch of a button. The brand’s colors and imagery (whether still or video) are vibrant and energetic, affirming CureVac’s pioneering approach and spirit.

How well is your Bioresearch brand doing at welcoming visitors inside?

Visit CureVac.com to see how the RNA people do it.