What are the secrets of the
super sites? Why do some sites succeed while the majority of
others fail? More and more Internet business owners are
asking themselves these questions. The answers are
frequently more obvious than you may think. Below are 10
tips for better, more successful web sites.
1. Build It For Speed
It's a fact of modern life -
people are in a hurry. Nowhere is that more true than on the
Internet. It seems that no matter how much the technology
improves, nothing is ever fast enough. In fact, several
studies indicate that the fast technology advances, the
faster people expect things to be.
So what does this mean for your
website design? It means that you have between 10 and 30
seconds to capture your potential customer's attention. If
they can not at least begin to read about your product in
that much time, they will be headed elsewhere. To minimize
your load time, keep graphics small. Compress them where
possible. Use flashy technology (Javascript, Flash,
Streaming Audio/Video, animation) sparingly and only if it
is important to your presentation.
2. Target Your Market
Know who your market is and make
certain that your site caters to their needs. It is critical
that your site reflect the values of your potential
customers. Is your market mostly business
professionals? If so, the site
must be clean and professional. Is your product aimed mostly
a teenagers and young adults? Then your site could be more
informal and relaxed. The key here is to know your market
and build the site to their preferences.
3. Focus The Site
Make certain your web site is
focused on the goal, selling your product or service. A site
offering many unrelated products is not necessarily
unfocused, but this is often the case. If your business does
offer many products, dedicate a unique page for each instead
of trying to sell them all from one page. Upselling or cross
selling is vital but don't dedicate so much to it that the
customer feels caught in a bait and switch. Make mention of
other products but do so subtly.
4. Credibility Is Crucial
The most professionally designed
site won't sell if your customers don't believe in you. The
impersonal nature of the Internet breeds a certain level of
mistrust. For your web site
to be successful you must
overcome this tendency. A clear privacy statement is one way
to build your credibility. Every commercial web site should
have a privacy statement posted
on line. Provide a prominent
link to your privacy statement from every page on the site
as well as from any location that you are asking your
visitors for personal information. Provide
legitimate contact information
on line. Your contact information should include an email
address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if
applicable. If you are unwilling to provide this information
to your customers, how can they trust (or buy
from) you?
5. Offer A Guarantee
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions
money back guarantee. This item is really a credibility
issue but it is important enough to warrant its own mention.
What better way to establish your customer's trust than to
eliminate any risk for them? If the customer sees that your
are willing to assume all of the risk, they will immediately
be more inclined to trust you.
6. Make Payment Easy
Offer a variety of payment
methods for your customer. If you don't currently take
credit cards, start immediately. You can either set up a
merchant account or use one of the many credit card clearing
houses. Take checks on line. Provide an address for those
who prefer to pay by cash, check or money order. Make sure
the payment process is clear, easy to access and intuitive
to use. Eliminate as many steps as possible. Do not ask for
any
more information than is
necessary to complete the transaction. Nothing frightens a
customer off faster than feeling that their privacy is being
invaded.
7. Simple Navigation
Make site navigation easy and
intuitive. While it may be artistic to make your index page
all black and hide the link to continue, will that generate
business? If your customer can not
navigate your site to find what
they want, they will go elsewhere. Limit the choices and
direct your customers through a sales process.
8. Consistency
Make sure the site is consistent
in look, feel and design. Nothing is more jarring and
disturbing to a customer than feeling as if they have just
gone to another site. Keep colors
and themes constant throughout
the site.
9. Design for indexing
85% of all web users find what
they are looking for via the top search engines. Make sure
that your page is designed to maximize your placement. Focus
on your keywords and keyword density but don't sacrifice
your message. Utilize the meta tags keywords, description
and title. Use your keywords when naming your pages.
10. Content is (still) king
Good content sells product. Ask
yourself the following questions. Does your copy convey the
message you wish to get across to your visitors? Is it
compelling? Does it lead your
visitor through the sales
process? Have others review, critique and edit your copy to
insure it is delivering the intended message. Always double
check your spelling and grammar.
Implementing the ten steps above
probably will not make your site as successful as Yahoo or
Amazon overnight. If they are implemented correctly and
integrated into an overall web site design and marketing
campaign, you should see a marked improvement in the site's
traffic and sales.
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Copyright 2000, 2002 Tony L.
Callahan, All Rights Reserved
Tony L. Callahan is president of
his own Internet marketing
company, Link-Promote
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