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9
Essential Elements Your Site Must Have!
The more user-friendly your site is, the more sales it will
bring in.
Element 1: A Headline That Gets Attention
People should know right away what the main benefit of your
product or service is. The headline needs to be well-written
and right to the point. It should encourage the visitor to
read more, not compel them to leave. For example - a chiropractor
would not start out with "We have over 25 years
experience..blah blah blah". Instead, start with
"Does Your Back Hurt?!?! Most people will answer
"yes" and will read on to see how they can stop it from
hurting.
Element 2: Easy to Use Navigation
Have you ever been to a site and you could not figure out how to
navigate it? (I hope it wasn't your site). The number
one reason people will leave a site is that the navigation was too
confusing to use. Don't be cutesy with your buttons - if the
link takes them to products, say "products".
Your navigation bar should be the same on every page of your
website. If your site is very large either use a
"fly-out" menu or at least give them access to the main
pages such as "home" and "contact".
Remember you are trying to sell a product or service, not showcase
the latest trick your web designer just learned.
Element 3: Effective Content (Text)
Choose your text carefully as this will be the first, and possibly
only, contact you will have with a visitor. Read the copy as
someone who knows nothing about your industry. Will it make
sense to them? Are you using terms and abbreviations that
most people do not know? Have someone not familiar with your
company read the text. Can they tell you what you are
selling? If not, you will want to revisit the text.
The text should also include your search term phrases. This
will help get your site listed on search engines.
Element 4: Professional, Meaningful Pictures
"A picture says a thousands words". Pictures help
people to "get it". They will help them to
understand your product or relate to an emotion. An HR
consultant might have someone sitting at a desk looking very frustrated.
Who won't be able to relate to that? Make sure that the
images look professional. If you take them yourself make
sure your thumb is not in the viewfinder or that deer antlers are
not coming out of your staff member's
head.
Element 5: An Opt-In Offer
Getting people to your site is half the battle. Now, you
need a way to contact them again. (They will need to see
your product/service 7 to 9 times before they buy). You
should be asking them to sign up for a newsletter or special
offer. You need to make it appealing enough so people will
give you their email address. Free drawings or a free e-book
are great ways to get people to sign up. Be
creative.
Side
Note - Once you have their email address, send them something at
least 4 times a year. Once a month is better.
Consistency is the key. Click
here learn about Virtualtech's Email Marketing Campaign Services.
Element 6: Testimonials
Gotta have them! Just like word-of-mouth advertising is the
best, testimonials will build credibility faster then anything
else. You can either create a testimonial page or better
yet, splash them around the site. When possible have a testimonial
that speaks about a specific product or service on that
page. Include names of satisfied clients as these add to the
credibility of the testimonial.
Element 7: Call to Action
People need to be told what to do and how to do it when it comes
to making a purchase. Don't just say "our products will
help you clean faster". Say, "ORDER TODAY and
start saving time on your cleaning". Deadlines and
special offers are another great way to get them to buy right
away. The Oreos are not placed at the end of the aisle by
accident. They are there, in your face, telling you to
"BUY ME!". It works, doesn't it?
Element 8: "About Us" Page
On every website we create there is always a "home",
"contact' and "about us" page. Why?
Because you need to tell people about your company. Why
should they buy from you instead of the other 10 companies whose
websites they just visited? The purpose of this page is to
build trust between you and your visitor. This is where you tell
them how long you have been in business, the awards you have won,
community involvement, your mission/vision statement, etc.
Pictures of staff members and owners help to make the site seem
more personal. This page also help to establish that you are
a legitimate business and not some "Internet Company".
Element 9: Contact Page
A visitor likes what they see. They like the product, they
trust you, and they are ready to buy. They look for
your phone number and can't find it! Having a link to your
"contact" page on all of your web pages ensures this
does not happen. The contact page should include mailing
address (if you work from home and you don't want to publish it,
get a PO box), phone number, fax number, and email address.
Don't just post your email address or worse yet, only offer a form
to fill out. Your company will come across as unprofessional
and small.
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