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10
Tips For Web Success
by: David
Risley
The webmaster's biggest job is to
get their traffic up and keep customers/visitors coming back. Building
the site is one thing, but simply building and posting a website does
not guarantee traffic. In fact, a website could be beautiful and an
example of all the latest technology and still not attract a single
visitor if not promoted correctly. Here are 10 tips to guide you to
success with your website.
(1) The internet is a new medium.
At least compared to print, it is. A website is a waste if it simply
re-hashes something which could easily be put into print. Don't have
the site be just an online brochure. Put up features which take advantage
of the internet as a medium of communication. Filter information for
them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with features
like forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact.
(2) Treat the Customer's Time as Valuable.
When a person visits your website, you have their attention for that
point in time. You either need to use it or you will lose it - fast.
Most visitors have short attention spans, what you need to design your
site homepage so that it grabs their attention and provides what they
are looking for right away. Its like walking into a restaurant. If you
walk in and just stand there and nobody comes to greet you, you might
wonder what is happening. But, if the hostess comes and greets you right
away and walks you to a table, then you will be there for awhile and
eat. The same analogy goes for websites. Don't overcomplicate your website
homepage. Best results will be obtained if you make it very clear where
to click to find what they need.
(3) Design the site for customers, not the company.
Your site needs to satisfy the needs of customers, not the company.
So, don't post content which is not really useful to the site's customer.
And avoid over-flattering marketing hype about the company. It inflates
the ego of the company more than it helps your customer.
(4) Involve the Visitor.
Keep the visitor involved and make them feel like a valuable contributor.
Actively ask for the feedback and suggestions. Ask for communication
from your visitors and answer that communication swiftly. When getting
that communication, capture their email address. This will allow you
to communicate with them long after they have moved on and forgotten
about you.
(5) Keep it Current.
You need to have content on your website which is timely and relevant
to the customer's life. Posting month-old news is not interesting. Posting
dry product information which never changes is not interesting. Yes,
you need to have product information and other information on your site
that won't change much, but you can also post more timely content. You
can, for example, post content about how your products can be used in
certain situations in life. Provide tips and techniques - things which
are immediately applicable and solve a problem.
(6) Pay Attention to Form/Design.
Some sites simply over-do it on the eye-candy. Big graphics just for
the sake of graphics often impress the site's designer more than the
visitor. Do not use graphics that are large and purposeless. Remember,
some visitors may still be accessing your website via dial-up. Your
site needs to load up quickly for all users. A slow website will cause
your users to leave quickly. Also, pay attention to graphic and design
size. Many web designers operate on fairly large screen resolutions
and sometimes forget that even though a graphic looks great to you,
it will appear enormous to somebody on a smaller resolution. On the
flip side, don't go too light on graphics. A site which is poorly designed
and using the default font and no color is not very aesthetically pleasing.
Any web visitor, whether they admit it or not, judges your company by
your website unless they have something else to go on. A well-designed
site communicates professionalism. A poor design makes the site seem
like an afterthought.
(7) Promote.
When a visitor communicates to you via email, it is best to use a web
form. not only will this keep your email address from being picked up
by spammers, it will also allow you to ask your customers for their
email address and then store that address for later use. Employ the
"push/pull" marketing strategy. A visitor coming to your website is
the pull, but later you want to push content back to them in the form
of a newsletter or other promotional material. Start a mailing list
and use it. Invite visitors to sign up. Promotion makes or breaks a
business, and as long as you respect the ethical considerations of your
mailing list, you should use it.
(8) Don't Operate in a Cocoon.
The internet is a medium which is shared by millions. When you set up
your website, don't operate as if you are a self-contained island. Get
out there and keep in tune with what is happening on other websites
related to your own. Participate in forums. Post links to other websites
and ask for a link in return. Form partnerships with other sites if
it is appropriate. When it comes to communication, people like personal
contacts. Hiding behind general email address like "sales" and "info"
is OK as long as there is a way to also email you directly. A company
site which allows email direct to the management is good. Just remember
how much you hate calling a company and getting stuck in their phone
system. Sometimes you just want to talk to somebody. Give your visitors
that ability.
(9) Have a Plan to Attract Repeat Traffic.
Use newsletters, out-going email, contests, forums, clubs, auctions
- anything that will cause people to return to your website. When posting
links to other websites, don't just send your visitors somewhere else.
They may never return. Provide them an exit page. Give them a pop-up
when they try to leave your site. Or at the very least make external
links open in a new window.
(10) Track Your Visitors
Pay attention to your site's statistics and react accordingly. What
are people reading? How are they finding you? Do they just come and
leave right from your homepage? How long as they are on your website?
Do they return? This data is immensely valuable in fine-tuning your
website based on customer needs and wants. Remember, the biggest mistake
of any webmaster is designing the site for what THEY want. A successful
website is designed for the target audience, not to impress the site's
owner.
About the author:
David Risley is a web developer and founder of PC Media, Inc. (http://www.pcmedianet.com).
Specializes in PHP/MySQL development, consulting and internet business
management. He is also the founder of PC Mechanic (http://www.pcmech.com),
a large website delivering do-it-yourself computer information to thousands
of users every day.
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