10
Tips For Web Success
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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