Do you have a strong desire to build a website, yet don't have
a clue where to begin? That was me six years ago. Like you,
I desperately wanted to be part of the online community and
stake my claim on the world wide web.
What have I learned in six years? A lot! It has changed
my life and can change yours too. Here are some valuable
tips I learned from some of my biggest mistakes building
a website and working online.
Let's Get Started.
Have you ever been to a website and been totally confused
about what it is they actually offer or do? I know I have.
I get frustrated with websites like these and quickly start
my search again for a website that focuses on the information
I am after.
Tip #1 - Find a niche market for your website. Don't
try to be a website for everything. If your website is about
recipes, make it about recipes and products that compliment
your theme. Don't throw in insurance quotes, apartment searches
and etc.
Tip #2 - Stay away from wallpaper and dark background
colors. Do you want visitors to see your services or your
wallpaper? My guess is the reason you have a website is to
promote a product or service, so make that the focus. Busy
wallpaper distracts from the services and products you are
trying to promote.
Dark background colors make reading web copy much harder
and can be a bit overwhelming to most people's sense of calm
and well being. When in doubt, do as other successful online
businesses do. Notice no wallpaper or dark background colors
on Microsoft, eBay and etc. It's okay to add a splash of
color to your website, just not the whole page.
Tip #3 - Avoid using flash introductory pages. Sure
they look nice and can be quite entertaining, but what do
they really do for your website? In my opinion, frustrate
your visitors. In today's fast paced society we want the
facts and information quickly. Remember, there are still
plenty of dial-up users who will become frustrated waiting
for your flash page to load and will move on to your competitor's
website.
Tip #4 - Turn your speakers down for this one. Nothing
scares a visitor off more quickly than entering a website
and being blasted with music. Avoid using music on your website.
It just isn't professional, unless of course, you are in
the music industry and your website is about music.
Tip #5 - Focus your web copy for your customer. They
are looking for "What's In It For Me?" Take time to write
good web copy or pay someone who can.
Example of What Not to Do: Welcome to our website.
We are excited you have found us. Notice in this example,
all the words really focus on the company: our, we, us. Nothing
is really about the benefits for customers.
Example of What to Do: Are you frustrated with website
builders that don't deliver? You need a professional website
with state-of-the-art ecommerce solutions and you need it
now. Doesn't this sound a lot more exciting and interesting?
Notice the "you" in this text. It is about the customer and
fulfilling a need.
An excellent book and learning tool for writing good web
copy is, "Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your
Words to the Bank," by Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg,
and Lisa T. Davis. I highly recommend it and can say from
experience, it is well worth the investment. You can find
it easily online at Amazon.com.
Tip #6 - To bold or not to bold...that is the question?
Bolding text can be a valuable tool for drawing attention
to a product or service. If you bold each and every word
in your paragraph, guess what? Nothing stands out. Use it
sparingly to get your message across. Also, the same is true
for using italics. Use it in moderation to highlight keywords
of interest.
Tip #7 - Easy navigation. Can your visitors easily
find what they are looking for or is there some secret passage
they have to discover to get there? One way to determine
how easy your website is to navigate is to send a friend
to your website and ask them to find a particular product
or service. Guess what? If they can't find it, neither can
your potential customers. Keep your website clean and easy
to navigate. A cluttered site will result in poor sales.
Visitors become frustrated when they cannot quickly find
what they are looking for on a website.
Tip #8 - How can your visitors contact you? I have
browsed websites where there is absolutely no way to contact
the owner and I am amazed at why anyone would do this. What
this tells me is there is "no" and I repeat, "NO" customer
service so why would I want to do business with them? The
trust factor on the web is totally different than the trust
factor of doing business locally. At a minimum, you should
provide a contact form or email. It's even better to provide
a contact phone number.
Note: Respond in a timely manner to requests. Generally
within 24 hours is best. Anything beyond that and people
get hesitant about the legitimacy of your business and service.
They want to know there is a live, eager person tending the
store. Not one who checks in every few days or weeks.
Tip #9 - Dead End - No Outlet - Site Not Found! By
this I mean, are your customers finding those links to nowhere
on your website? Sometimes it can't be helped, however, check
your website often for dead links, keep it updated and the
content fresh. Finding a bunch of dead links on a website
will send a very clear message to your visitors. No one is
tending the store. Not much happening here! This is a sure
way to quickly devalue your website.
Tip #10 - Should you link up? Yes! Quality link exchanges
do work. Exchange links with websites that compliment the
demographics of your website. If your website is about recipes,
linking with other recipe sites, cooking sites and such are
a good move. Linking to real estate websites, for example,
would not be a good linking strategy. It is also best to
categorize your link partners for your visitors: Italian
Recipes, Mexican Recipes and etc. And, when possible, house
your link pages on your own domain, not with a free linking
service.
In closing, I am sure you are reading this article because
you want a professional website. If you have programming
skills and can write your own code, great! If not, there
are many affordable, quality online website builders available.
Avoid using the free website builder services. It's that
old saying, "You Get What You Pay For," and it certainly
is true in this case.
About the Author:
Diane Drayer has been working online for the past 6 years.
She is a successful internet marketer and home business professional.
She owns and manages
http://www.MakeAnEasyWebsite.com and
http://www.DirectSellingOpportunities.com.
