One of the most critical steps in creating a new website is the design phase. Many people skip this phase entirely, and it’s easy to tell when you look at their site. The signs are everywhere and easy to see: site difficult to navigate, purpose of site difficult to discern, too many graphics and not enough text, bad colors, and other obvious errors.
Designing a web site is easy. Sit down at a table with a stack of paper in front of you and think. Just think for a while. What is the purpose of my site? What do I want a visitor to do? Buy something? Send you emails? Join an association? Whatever is your purpose, that is what your site should be designed around.
If you want your visitors to purchase something, then you must make it easy and convenient. Everything must flow to the purchase, and nothing must stand in the way. If you want them to join your association, then flow your site to that.
Now, get your stack of paper, a pencil and storyboard your site. Draw it out, just like you were designing a house. Design each page, paying particular attention to navigation, color schemes and again, tying it all in with your primary purpose.
When you have your entire site drawn out on paper, sit back and look at it for a while. Go for a long walk. Go to sleep. Do something else for a while. Then come back and look at it again, paying particular attention, yet again, to ensuring it is tied to your purpose and that the navigation works.
The importance of content in attracting customers
“The content is very important”. It’s true that this line has become monotonous, but you would still hear it more often from all the marketing icons. The reason is quite plain and simple, when you have a web presence, content is the thing that attracts customers and retains their attention. It is the one and only means, which will bring customers to your website and turn leads into sales through all your advertising campaigns. This is what you are selling, and you should hit right on the bull’s eye for it. No place for compromise when it comes to content of your website.
If you do not feel confident enough of writing great content yourself, it’s better to hire a good write to do it for you. But before choosing an appropriate copywriter, you should know whether he possess Search Engine Marketing (SEM)/Search Engine Optimization (SEO) copywriting experience or not. This is the most important point, as you have a commercial website which is selling your business, and your main aim is to bring traffic to your website. So an adept person, with an experience of SEM/SEO, can do wonders for your business.
With clear, concise and compelling information, presented attractively, about your product and service, you hope to move the visitor to view your web site favorably when determining their action.
Descriptive and reflective website content, with rich information, about product and service targeted to sell, makes way towards success. Internet sales got doubled in the last decade, even when the economy was struggling. In this light, you would have been surprised to know that large fancy corporate websites and dot-coms are losing money. Most of the time you can’t even locate what is on the sale at their website. When visitors hit your home page, they want to know your identity and what you can do for them. Just as fancy sites don’t sell, strong content does.
This same careful consideration, is rarely given to the search engines that are the determining factor in your ranking position, which they assign your web site. Your search engine ranking is the key to the amount of visitors, and the success of your website, finally.
So, give importance to the content you have on your website and do all the things necessary to promote your web business. Hard work always pays; contrary to no work, no pay. Learn and analyze what other people are doing. Learn about success stories and implement them in your business plans. Everyone is making money on the web; so can you. Some are making less and some are making more but there is a whole world out there to be explored. Get started today and good luck.
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