| Hello again Name and welcome to What makes a good website and the common mistakes to avoid There's lots to cover so here goes.
--------------------------------------------------- 1. Keep your site simple - KYSS How many times have you tried to access a website only to have to wait while the intro loads? And how many times have you 'clicked off' in frustration? The main reason that people use the internet is to get information. And they want it quickly. So, unless, you' re a frustrated graphic designer, a special effects expert or an audio-visual nut, the best advice I can give you is forget the flashy graphics and focus on the beef – the content. First, get your homepage right. I can't emphasise enough how important it is that your homepage sets out clearly, quickly and simply:
Everything else is subordinate to these four tasks. As a general rule your homepage should look slightly different to the rest of your site. It's then recognisable as the base camp to which visitors can return and from which they can explore. A common homepage mistake is to write too much so, unless your homepage is a sales letter, 'don't tell them – tell them what you're going to tell them'. Most people don't read websites – they scan them. There are billions of pages out there and life isn't long enough to read them all. Split your homepage into chunks so that visitors can quickly assess whether there's anything on your site they want. Link to more detailed content on separate pages. These pages should be written so that they appeal both to your readers and the search engines. You need to include plenty of keywords and phrases so that the engines' robots detect the high relevance of your site to the keywords you've identified as important in your market. We'll cover this critically important issue in another lesson. 2. Designer sites that don't sell Don't misunderstand me, I admire designers and I count a few as friends. Some are excellent at designing websites. But the majority get websites wrong. Their mistake is that they think the web is primarily visual. Actually, they think everything is visual and words are a waste of space. They could not be more wrong. First of all search engines can't read pictures; they read words. Secondly when was the last time a salesman used pictures to sell you something? Without talking! And that's what a website is – your 24/7 ‘talking' salesman. Many of the most profitable websites are downright ugly – just like some great salespeople – but they're structured, designed and written to:
Which is great news because it means you don't have to spend a fortune on animation and graphics. Stick to the principles of good salesmanship, treat your visitors like intelligent human beings and you'll be half way there. If you want an effective, search engine friendly website, things to stay away from include:
So, to sum up, focus on your core content, easy navigation, interactivity and promoting your site to your target audience. And if you want 65 tips on creating a profitable site, try this . 3. Content, content, content It's natural and desirable that you should want your website to be well designed and professional looking. But it's far more important that you offer valuable content and promote your site effectively. How do you create good content? By focusing on your audience's needs, not on what you're selling. The internet is a vast warehouse of information. Most people – 75-90% according to research – search for information through the search engines. To get a good presence or ranking on search engines you need quality content, now more than ever. This is partly because the search engines have links with the directories – and directories rank sites according to their editors' opinions of their content. The rankings at DMOZ.com, the Open Directory Project, feed directly into Google, AOL, Lycos, Hotbot and Alta Vista amongst others. The LookSmart directory feeds its results into MSN and About.com. So you need to impress the directory editors with some good content. Don't worry, it's not too hard. You can create good content by, for example:
4. How to keep people flocking to your site Remember – most people use the internet to get FREE information. Content really is king so it follows that you need to refresh your site at regular intervals or as topics arise in the news. People need a reason to return to your site but if they find nothing new, they may not give you a second chance. Why not diarise website changes once a fortnight? If your site comes with an easy to use content management system (bare, naked plug time - all Incise sites do), you can make simple text and image changes yourself. You can get ideas for new content from trade publications, the internet, local media and, of course, good old fashioned creativity. Special offers make great new content too and give you a reason to contact your ‘opt-in subscribers'. We'll discuss this technique in a later lesson. That's it for now. Cheers, Paul --------------------------------------------------- Protect your business from crashes, viruses and hackers. Incise subscribers save over 15%. Depositit is the leading online data back-up solution. Incise subscribers get nearly 20% off standard prices. Find out more here --------------------------------------------------- paullock@incisecomms.co.uk NOTES 1. Please forward this course to anyone you think might find it useful, whether they're considering starting an online business or already running one. To get the email, they can sign up in less than 10 seconds at http://www.incisecomms.co.uk 2. As a reader of my course, you're my most important critic and commentator. I welcome all reader feedback. Emailme anytime at paullock@incisecomms.co.uk 3. If you really don't find the course useful, then reply to this email with the subject field 'unsubscribe'. I'd appreciate any feedback. 4. Lastly, I've taken every care to check the information and advice I give. However, I regret that I can't be responsible for any loss that you may suffer as a result of the advice or from any omission or inaccuracy. This disclaimer also applies to 3rd party links. © Paul Lock 2005. All rights reserved. No copying or extraction without permission from service@incisecomms.co.uk |