|
|
|||||
10 Tips for a Great Website
|
|
Remember when people were afraid to buy
things off the Internet? Consumers seem to be getting over
those fears in a big way. Last year, global e-commerce
revenues exceeded 1.8 trillion. Still, most economists
agree that online purchasing will never completely replace
brick and mortar stores. People will always want to be
able to touch and examine certain items before deciding
whether or not to purchase them -- like dentures or automobiles.
Yet one only has to look at the radical changes in the
book and music business models to see that e-commerce is
here to stay and will continue to impact the way we make
purchases. For those looking to sell goods or services
on the Web, understand that your web site will make or
break you. To be successful on the internet, your website
needs to be user-friendly and establish a brand that people
can trust.
Pat McNulty is a fine art photographer who started his website 10 years ago. He is constantly trying and testing new ideas. He has come up with the follow tips he feels are essential for creating a great website along with treating your customers like gold. 1. Quick to Load - If the page takes too long to load, potential customers will get frustrated and leave. Abandoned shopping carts are often the result of too long load times. Don’t overload on graphics, which heightens load time. 2. Easy to Navigate - Keep the design simple. Allow people to go directly to what they are interested in. 3. Easy to Order - Secure online ordering is a must. Make sure you accept credit cards, as this will boost traffic, and make it easy to add and subtract items from the shopping cart. 4. Provide Information - Give info about
your company, products, and services. Make it easy
to contact your
company, and have pictures of your employees. People
do not know who you are, they can’t shake your
hand and introduce themselves over the Internet, so it
is important to show them the faces behind the products.
This builds trust, your most important marketing tool. 5. Money Back Guarantee - If you have a good product that you believe in, then stand by it and make promises that you know you can keep. Make it risk- free for your customers, and you will make it easy for them to say yes to purchasing your products. 6. Give Something Away - When you give something for free, such as articles, reports, newsletters, or trial services, you will not only build your customers trust in you, but you will give them something to remember you by. Remember to give without expecting something immediate in return. 7. Exchange Links - This is a great way to get traffic to your site. You direct traffic to someone else’s site, and vice versa. It is a win-win situation. Make sure the links you pick are relevant to your website. 8. Test Your Advertising - Don’t expect to place an ad and have it work the first time. Try different approaches, as no two ways produce the same results. If an ad is not working, don’t keep sinking more money into it. Try something different. You need a way to measure results, such as using coupon codes which will help you track how people found out about your product. Also, every time you get a customer, be sure to ask how they found your website. 9. Newsletters - Make sure to offer something that is anticipated and personal, not blindly sent to everyone without their permission. Do not send spam! Give your customers and potential customers something that is relevant to a topic that interests them. 10. Reason to Return - Give your customers
a reason to keep coming back to your site. Offer new
articles,
and keep updating and adding to it on a regular basis.
Don’t let your site become static. Constantly adjust
and adapt your website. Pat McNulty's passion for photography
has blossomed into a business, http://www.premierphotographer.com .
He has over 800 pictures in subjects ranging from lighthouses,
flowers, horses, kittens, waterfalls and butterfly's.
His photographs are developed straight off the original
negative to 8 x 10 and 11 x 14, 12x 18, and 16 x20 inches,
with impressive sharpness and rich tonality. All of
his photographs are individually signed. His website
also offers ten free screensavers, free wallpaper,
decorating and photography articles. If you would like to learn how to grow
your interenet business check out You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as you leave the article title, author name, body and resource box intact (means NO changes) with the links made active |
 |
 |
 |
FREE decorating articles.