Wednesday 10 February, 2010
Tips and techniques on how to make your website a hero as
well as flagging some common pitfalls to avoid becoming an online
villain.
Call to action
The absolute number one singular reason your website exists is to provide a call to action. A call to action is a single (or dual) act that you want a visitor to do upon visiting your site. It could be to register for a special report by providing their name and email address upon which you provide your valuable expertise. This allows you to communicate with them further in the future. You have now created a communication channel while also building your email database. A call to action is critical.Buttons & navigation
When a visitor first lands on your website you have between 3 and 7 seconds for them to stay or go. If your buttons and navigation appear ugly, illogical or simply don't work visitors will disappear in droves never to return.Layout
Make the layout of your website flow. Consider deeply how people think and navigate through a website. Respect the conventions and norms of popular websites you like. Make it as easy as possible to navigate through your site in a logical order that provides the information they need. For example, the About Us and Contact Us pages typically appear to the far right of the top bar.Contact details
Ironically, one of the greatest criticisms levelled at small business websites is prospects finding it difficult to contact the business. A Contact Us page should be prominent with all contact details. Other links to contact details should be placed in logical places throughout your site so visitors can quickly contact you if they want to during their visit.Free information
The most common reason why people visit your website is to access information. One of the leading techniques in appealing to prospects and customers is to offer them free information or resources. Successful website owners know this and offer free stuff up front. This then creates interest (and demand) for a paid transaction. Examples include a feature article, special report, checklist, tips sheet, booklet or eBook.Focus on benefits not features
A classic website pitfall is to focus all your web copy on the features of your products or services. Remember that visitors are focused solely on the benefits that they receive. Never forget this.Products and services
So now you've created a call to action, provided some free information and outlined the benefits customers receive it's now perfectly appropriate to actually talk about you and your products / services. Make it visually easy for visitors to see and read about your products and services. Use sharp images and graphics to break up the text.Reasons to return
Make it appealing for visitors to return to your site after their initial visit. Tips to help motivate visitors to return include blogs, news, updates, newsletters / ezines, teleseminars and webinars.Colour
Use colours on your site that are consistent with your business logo and corporate stationery. Steer clear of latest fashion colours as these can become dated very easily. Also consider typical colours that are known to your industry as this provides comfort to visitors.Graphics
Using graphics can be very helpful in visitors comprehending your content and navigating through your site. Well placed buttons and images break up the site and let the site breathe. But a word of warning, avoid using clip art or images that look cheap. Visitors will perceive your offering as low end.Text and white space
One of your greatest challenges will be to find the right balance between too little or too much text. This is more art than science and often involves some feedback from people you trust during the site build. White space is the blank space that appears around your words and images on your sight. Web developers talk about more white space allowing visitors to read and navigate easier without the content being too text rich (i.e. too many words).Font type and size
Try and use a font type that is easy to read and avoid unusual font types that aren't used in business. Also consider the font size as many websites are difficult to read.Frequently asked questions
In addition to making it easy to find your contact details, it can also be useful to have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Many visitors will have the same questions and if you can make it easy for them to access answers, they'll connect more. An easy way to find out what these questions are is to get your help desk, call centre, sales department or reception to note down the questions asked by prospects and customers.Privacy policy
A Privacy Policy outlines what you're commited to doing in the protection of information transmitted online to you. This may be names and email addresses forwarded for a subscription to your website. Your Privacy Policy typically explains that you will not rent, sell or disclose personal details to third parties. Google rewards websites that have Privacy Policies in their organic listings.Terms and conditions
It can also be useful to include your Terms And Conditions online also. It shows transparency and provides the fine print for customers. Similar to the Privacy Policy, Google likes T&C's.Site map
Site Maps are a footer at the bottom of your website that shows all the buttons and links on your website. This can be helpful to visitors if they get lost in navigating through your site so they can get back to the page they need.Source:ceoonline.com
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