On the Internet your website is seen by millions of people everyday... FALSE!!! It CAN be seen by millions of people if you know how to create the type of presence that commands that sort of attention! What can you do to accomplish this?
The first step is to create an impact with a "marketing friendly" website. Sounds easy, right? Actually it's not as difficult as you may think.
- Offer Valuable Information
Caution: This doesn't mean your sales pitch. It means real information. Real content.
Say, for example, you wanted to buy a pair of skis but you've never been skiing... What would you want to know? All about the latest, fastest model of skis? Or where to get skiing lessons, the best places to go skiing in your area, etc. Right?
That's content. With the right amount of information, your potential customer will feel more at ease about making the purchase. He will be able to actually see himself using your product.
- Offer On-Line Ordering
Make it as easy as possible for your potential customer to give you his money! And be sure to include alternative ways to order in case he/she doesn't have or want to use a credit card.
- Be Easy To Navigate
Have a link to the homepage and other points of interest from every page in your site. Visitors don't necessarily always come in on your homepage. If they get lost, they get frustrated. If they get frustrated they leave... most likely never to return.
- Look Good On Most Browsers
Not everyone is quick to download and install the latest, greatest versions of software. They may still be using older software versions that don't support the newest versions of HTML or Java, etc. As time goes on, more and more people are using current browsers, but marketing is, after all, a numbers game. Get the most out of your traffic no matter what type of browser they're using.
- Utilize Forms As Much As Possible For Interaction
Get your potential customer involved and ask him his opinion! Use survey forms, feedback forms, questionnaires, etc. Forms, rather than just an email link, make it easy for the visitor to participate.
- Go Light On The Graphics
Don't make your potential customers wait by using large graphics that make load-in time a nightmare! It's very simple why... Your potential customer will just leave and give his money to your competitor who didn't make him wait.
- Stay Fresh
You may be able to lure surfers back to your site if they think there might be something new there waiting for them. And if they didn't buy the first time, they just might on the return visit.
- Look Good
How many times have you had trouble finding your way around on someone's website that looked horrible? Design is very important and it's NOT just eye candy. Design actually serves a very important purpose - it enhances and brings your message to life. It guides your potential customer in the right direction. It makes his visit pleasant, making it more likely that he will return. A properly designed site gives you a more professional look - important when you're asking someone to fork over their credit card....
- Be Accessible All The Time
It is absolutely imperative that your site is located on servers that are reliable with a webmaster that can handle any technical difficulties immediately. Any site with a T3 connection with more than one server should suffice.
Creating your "marketing friendly" website is only half the battle. Now it's time to create an impact by promoting! There are a number of things you can do to get noticed - now that you have something to notice:
