Eight Simple Steps To
Enhancing Your Web Site
By Alden Smith
©2005 All rights reserved
To be successful with your online business, whether you are selling your own product, services or are
selling for other merchants as an affiliate, you need a web site that focuses on that subject alone. The
site must be easy to build, maintenance-free, low cost, credible and a powerful traffic-builder and
customer-converter. Having the right tools or product alone will not ensure the success of your web site.
There are many factors to be considered when designing your site. And unfortunately, most of these are usually
ignored by Internet business owners. Below are eight simple steps to enhance your site and make it profitable.
1. Build it for speed
There is no denying that in this day and age that people are in a hurry. You have between 10 and 30 seconds to
capture your potential customer's attention. 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 imperative 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 at teenagers and young adults? Then your site could be more informal
and relaxed. The key 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 of selling your product or service. If your business offers many
products, dedicate a unique page for each instead of trying to sell them all from one page. This can easily be
accomplished through the utilization of subdomains.
4. Build credibility
The most professionally designed site won't sell if your customers don't believe in you. Become an authority in
your chosen niche. The Internet is all about information, not just marketing. People go to the Internet to find
information on a particular subject. Providing clear concise articles focused on the subject of your site makes
you an expert in your field. Providing a clear privacy statement is also a way to build your credibility. 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 online, including your
mailing address and telephone number. Don't hide behind a computer!
5. Keep navigation simple
Make site navigation easy and intuitive. Simple and smooth navigation adds to the convenience of the visitors.
Add powerful search and catalog features. Many times a lot of visitors do not have the patience to navigate
through the whole web site to find what they are looking for.
6. Keep it consistent
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.
7. Make your site interactive and personalized
Make your web site interactive. Add feedback forms as well as email forms that allow your prospective customers to
ask you any questions they might have pertaining to a product. Personalization of your web site is another key
element that can lead to customer delight and can increase your sales. Personalization technology provides you
the analytic tools to facilitate cross-selling and up-selling when the customer is buying online. It would give
you an idea of what products to cross-sell and up-sell. For example, when a person buys a CD player, a disc
cleaner can also be offered.
8. Content is king
Good content sells a 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 ensure it is delivering the intended message. Always double-check your
spelling and grammar.
These eight simple rules will go a long way toward the improvement of your web site and most importantly, turn
visitors into customers.
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