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The 8 Most Important Questions...DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE A successful website...This is your number one goal! While your site is still in the creative phase and you are developing the content, keep in mind not only what you would like to see on the screen, but what information is necessary for the site to motivate visitors to buy your product and the most appealing presentation of this vital data. Ask yourself these *8 Most Important Questions* about your Website:
If the answer to any of the above eight questions is "no" or you are unsure about any of the above questions, then take some time and rethink the plans for your site in development. Your Headline as an Invitation... An inviting *headline* is the first step to keeping visitors at your site. If the first thing that they see is not appealing, then there is a good chance they will never even enter your site. But, once the visitor gets past the headline, the next thing that they see is your home page... The Home Page KISS - Keep It Simple Sweetie! A confusing or distracting home page is a sure way for a visitor to leave your site. Make sure that it is simple, easy to read and that it is easy to figure out how to link to other pages for more information. Too many graphics may be distracting or slow loading thereby giving shoppers a chance to change their mind and move on to your competitors site. Provide Enough Information to Make a Sale Once a visitor has clicked on a link to find out more about the product or service, it is extremely important that the *information* provided is thorough and appealing. This is very important. If it does not provide the customer with enough information to convince them that they should make a purchase, then they may go to another site to spend their money. Z Z Z Z Z Z Z - Don't Put Your Customer to Sleep! Make sure that the information is not only helpful but also *interesting* to read. If you are unsure of the content, have a friend or a family member read the content. Ask them if the information would make them want to order immediately. If not, find out why and change your content. Testing this information on people you know will provide you with a good idea of what a customer would want to read and know about a product before ordering online. People like to learn as much as possible about a product in as little amount of time as possible. Use strong compelling words to describe the product. Provide detail and description that would entice someone to part with their hard earned dollars on the merchandise. Make Your Site Easy to Navigate Besides from the Home page, the adjoining pages need to have a clear purpose. Each page may be on a different subject, but it must be clear to the visitor how the content relates to the product. And, each page should have links to the other pages within the site so that if a customer wants to link back and forth, they do not have to use the back button and risk the chance of getting lost and not being able to find your site again. Once the customer is convinced that what is offered is something they need, they are likely to order. At this point, however, it is vital that the ordering is quick and easy. Give Your Customer an Offer He Can't Refuse Everyone wants the *best price* possible so the cost of the product must be fair. The majority of people shopping online are looking for the cheapest price. They may jump around from site to site to find out who will service them the best and offer the cheapest price. Be aware of this when you are determining the cost of your product so that it is not only competitive but a good deal! Offer Variety in Payment Methods Offering different methods of payment is convenient for shoppers. Although you will find that the large majority of customers prefer to pay by credit card, there are some that prefer to pay by check or money order. Providing an option will be greatly appreciated. The fastest and most satisfying method of ordering for the customer is *online ordering.* This really should not be an option on your site - it is a necessity in order to generate the maximum amount of sales and keep customers coming back. This cannot be emphasized enough. Recent data clearly indicates that web sites with online ordering have much higher sales than those that do not. For the merchant, the key bonus about online ordering is that it cuts down on the delay of waiting for a check to clear. Entering a credit card number into a secure form is the quickest way to send and receive orders. Although all of the above is crucial to the success of the site, one of the most important factors is providing excellent *customer service.* How is it done effectively? It’s actually very easy! Checking email for orders on a regular basis and responding to shopper’s questions or concerns in a timely manner is the best way to show your customer that you care about their business. If orders are taken over the phone, making sure the phone is answered in a professional manner and in a business-like way is vital. Customers want to feel comfortable knowing that they are receiving the same type of service online as they would if they walked into a store and spoke to a person directly. Fulfill orders in the amount of time specified on the site and keep this as a rule of thumb. If the product requested is out of stock or there will be a delay, contact your customer and let them know immediately. They will appreciate this act of professionalism. Contact your customer if there is any confusion about an order, whether it is concerning what was purchased or the method of payment used. This will head off any potential future problems in advance and keep the order from being delayed. Don’t forget to thank the customer for their order and let them know that someone is available to help them with any other needs they may have in the future. If you take all of these steps to insure the best customer service you can give, customers will greatly appreciate it and remember you for their future needs! Print This Checklist and Keep It With You! Think of this article as your checklist. Print it out and keep it with you when developing the content or layout of your site. If you ask yourself the *Eight Most Important Questions* and put effort into answering them correctly, visitors will notice that time and thought was put into the organization and design of your site. They will enjoy surfing through your site, ordering your products and will most likely bookmark the site for any future occasions when your product or service is needed. Other Key Components in Your Online Success Once you have decided on the content and basic format of your Website, one of the key components in determining its success is how it is promoted. See also: 
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