Easy Tricks for
Simplifying Your Web Site and Turning At Least
60% More Visitors into Sales!
-- by Corey Rudl, http://www.marketingtips.com
-- http://www.redtienda.com/english/newsletter68.htm#1If you're like me,
you're probably pretty excited that summer's
right around the corner. The days are getting
longer, the veggies are growing in the garden,
and barbecue smells are wafting through the
neighborhood. Ah, summer!
Now that
it's almost here, a lot of businesses are winding
down for the warm weather lull. That means it's a
great time to spruce up your web site. Whether
your site needs a complete overhaul or just a
little tidying up, it can really benefit from a
thorough once-over.
In this
issue, we're going to look at the top 4
"Fatal Mistakes" that many designers
make with their web sites. These mistakes seem
like innocent blunders, but they can really kill
your sales. We'll also go over the top 10
essential elements that every site must have if
it's going to be successful. Then we'll provide a
list of useful resources that you can use to
optimize your site's performance.
Read on
to learn how you can simplify the design of your
web site to improve its effectiveness and really
get your profits to soar!
The Top 4
Fatal Mistakes Web Site Designers Make
If you
want to be successful online, you have to develop
a web site that serves the needs of your visitors
in a user- friendly fashion. It's surprising how
many people don't think about this when they plan
their web sites!
An
important rule of thumb when it comes to
designing a web site is: SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY,
SIMPLIFY. Your web site should be easy to use and
easy to understand. It should guide your visitors
through the sales process in a simple and
convenient manner. Your visitors should never
have to guess at what you mean or what you're
trying to get them to do!
With that
in mind, let's take a look at some of the common
mistakes businesses owners make when developing
their web sites...
FATAL
MISTAKE #1: Trying to "dazzle"
customers instead of sell to them
A lot of
new business owners want their web sites to be as
eye-catching as possible. They think that by
including a lot of flashy graphics and nifty
animation effects, they'll capture their
visitors' attention. That may be true, but they
can distract your visitors from what you really
want them to focus on: the value of your product!
Never
confuse eye-candy for content. Graphics should
only ever be used to support the main purpose of
your site: to get people to buy what you have to
offer! If a graphic doesn't directly relate to
your product or service, then it shouldn't be on
your site. It's just that simple.
You may
want to impress people with your technical
know-how by including lots of banners and links
on your site, but too much visual clutter looks
unprofessional and can ruin your credibility.
And, if the graphics and gimmicks don't have
anything to do with what you're selling, they're
just going to detract from your main message.
Anything that distracts visitors from your copy
is guaranteed to lose you sales.
You also
don't want to chase your visitors away with long,
unnecessary Flash presentations and splash pages.
If your customers have to spend too much time
trying to figure out how to stop your Flash
presentation so they can get through to the
"meat" of your site, they'll be gone,
most likely never to return.
Believe
it or not, studies have shown that most
first-time visitors spend only 10 SECONDS on a
site before deciding whether or not it offers any
value for them. You don't want to waste these
precious seconds with a pointless splash page or
distracting animation!
The best
way to drive sales is to design a simple, clean
site using only two or three colors and one or
two fonts throughout the entire site. Avoid using
colored or patterned backgrounds. You might think
they look cool, but they make it really difficult
to read your sales copy. Also be sure to keep
your link colors and format consistent. People
generally expect links to be blue and underlined.
This may seem boring from a design point of view,
but the links will be instantly recognizable and
that's what really matters.
FATAL
MISTAKE #2: Making Your Site Too Large
One of
the worst mistakes people can make is building
massive, multi-paged sites that take forever to
load. "The more, the better," is NOT
true, at least when it comes to web site design!
Our
studies have shown that 30% to 60% percent of
visitors drop off with each click they're made to
take! Your site has to be as streamlined as
possible in order if you want it to reach its
true profit potential.
As you
spruce up your site, try to reduce the number of
pages wherever possible. If you're selling 10 or
less products, include them on your homepage. Why
make visitors click through to a separate
"Products" page to see what you have to
offer? Remember, every click loses sales! If you
can't feature all your products on your home
page, group them in categories and display each
category of products on its own page, instead of
including a separate page for each product.
Wherever
possible, try to reduce the number of files on
your web pages. The more files a page has, the
longer it'll take to load -- especially if
they're large graphics files. Use colored text
instead of graphics to grab attention. If you
must use a graphic, make sure it's a small file.
Too many people make the mistake of using high-
resolution images when they really don't need to.
You need only 72 dpi (dots per inch) for screen
resolution. And most graphics only need to be 256
colors or less.
Don't
forget, you have only 10 seconds to grab people's
attention. The longer visitors have to wait for
your site to load, the less likely they are to
stick around and find out about your products or
services.
FATAL
MISTAKE #3: Confusing Navigation
Some web
designers like to show off their skills by
creating new and different ways to navigate
through a multi-paged site. Sometimes they hide
links beneath icons or images, so that users
can't find the links unless they mouse over the
graphics. This may be very clever, but it
certainly doesn't help people find what they're
looking for!
Other
designers put their navigation bars in different
places on each web page, or change the look of
the navigation bar itself, which can be awfully
confusing. Navigation bars are like traffic
signs: they have to be consistent and easily
understandable in order to be effective.
The best
way to deal with your navigation is to make it
simple and obvious. It might seem boring and
unoriginal, but that's the point. People don't
want to have to guess how to make their way
through your site -- they want it to be easy to
understand. Otherwise, they'll go somewhere else
to find what they're seeking.
FATAL
MISTAKE #4: Burying essential information too
deep within the site
Web
surfers are impatient people! They don't want to
spend a lot of time trying to find what they're
seeking on your site. According to market
research done by the Garner Group, more than 50%
of Web sales are lost because site visitors can't
find what they're looking for.
If you've
buried important information too deep within your
site, you're losing out on more than half of your
sales!
A web
site should be like a newspaper story. All of the
really important information about your site --
what you're selling and how it benefits people --
should be the first thing your visitors see.
That's the best way to capture their attention
and get them to read more.
If you
have only 10 seconds to grab your visitors'
interest, don't make them waste time scrolling
down your homepage or clicking through to deeper
pages. People don't want to take any extra
trouble to find out what you're offering -- you
have to provide it to them right up front. Don't
make them look for it; hit them between the eyes
with it!
The 10
Essential Elements Your Site Absolutely MUST
Have!
Now that
we've covered what you shouldn't have on your
site, it's time to review what you should
include. If you have all these elements on your
site, you'll be well on your way to success!
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #1: Attention-grabbing headline
The first
thing people see when they visit your site should
be a compelling headline that describes the most
important benefit your product or service offers.
The headline is THE key element of your site.
It's what will persuade your visitors to stick
around and check out what you have to offer.
Your
headline should be well-written: clear, concise,
and to the point. It should also be enticing. You
want to pique your visitors' interest and make
them eager to learn more about what you're
selling. You can do this by emphasizing what your
product or service can do for them.
Once
you've crafted a compelling headline, format it
so that it stands out from the rest of the text.
It should be the first thing that catches your
visitors' attention. Use a large font size,
bolding, italics, a different color -- whatever
suits the style of your web site.
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #2: User-friendly navigation
As we
said above, nothing drives your customers away
faster than confusing or complicated navigation!
Your customers should be able to know where they
are on your site at all times, and should easily
be able to find pages they've already visited.
Make sure
your navigation bar or menu is clearly accessible
and easy to understand. It should be exactly the
same on every page of your site, and be located
in exactly the same place. Your customers
shouldn't have to hunt for it.
Remember:
when it comes to navigation, consistency is the
key!
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #3: Effective salescopy
The words
you use to describe your product and its benefits
are the key to the success of your business. Your
salescopy is the only contact you'll have with
the vast majority of your visitors. That's why
you have to make the most of it!
Your
salescopy should:
- Immediately
draw the reader in with exciting benefits
and enticing copy so you can lead them
toward the sale.
- Establish
your credibility -- nobody will buy from
you if they don't feel they can trust
you.
- Describe
the benefits of your product or service
and explain WHY your visitors need it.
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #4: A clear "Call to Action"
If you
want people to buy your products or services, you
have to tell them how to do it! Don't leave them
guessing. You have to explain exactly what you
want them to do, and you have to make it easy for
them to do it.
If you
want them to buy a product, present them with a
call to action like this:
CLICK
HERE NOW to order your six-month supply of
Product X.
Provide
your customers with clear, easy-to-understand
instructions on how to make a purchase, and let
them know what they can expect when they click on
the link that leads them to the order page.
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #5: Well-chosen images
Images
can really help people visualize your products or
services and their benefits. Be sure to include
photos of every product you sell. Attractive
product shots can really boost your sales!
If you
have a lot of products for sale, use
"thumbnails" that link to larger
images. This will make your pages load more
quickly. If you're selling electronically
delivered products such as eBooks or software,
you may want to create simulated product shots to
represent them. This is guaranteed to boost your
sales by making your product seem more tangible.
Including
pictures of yourself and your staff helps to
personalize your business and reminds customers
they're interacting with real people, not just a
web site. In addition, you should post photos of
satisfied customers beside their testimonials.
This will add credibility to their statements and
show your visitors that they're not just figments
of your imagination!
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #6: A strong opt-in offer
Most
first-time visitors don't make a purchase.
However, the fact they've come to your site in
the first place means they're at least curious to
see what you have to offer.
In order
to pursue a relationship with these potential
customers, you should collect their e-mail
addresses by encouraging them to subscribe to a
free newsletter or free download. This will give
you the chance to send them updates and
information, develop relationships with them, and
enable them to trust you enough to buy from you!
Opt-in
offers like this are a great way to turn visitors
into customers and really maximize your sales.
Your opt-in offer should be clearly linked to
each page of your web site or, if possible,
actually included on each page. One less click
means losing fewer potential subscribers!
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #7: Testimonials
The best
way to establish credibility is to provide
evidence that your product or service really
works. And the best way to do that is to include
testimonials from satisfied customers that
explain how your product or service has helped
improve their lives.
Be sure
to include the name of your satisfied customers
as well as where they live. You should also
provide a small picture of them. This will
personalize their messages and demonstrate that
they're real people who've enjoyed real benefits
from your product.
It's a
good idea to have a few of your best testimonials
featured right on your homepage, for instant
credibility. However, you should also have a
separate testimonials page as well. The more
satisfied customers you can show to reluctant
shoppers, the better.
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #8: An "About Us" page
People
are often hesitant to buy things online. They
miss the personal interaction of doing business
face to face.
The best
way to overcome their reluctance is to include an
"About Us" page that provides
information about you, your staff, and your
business. Be sure to include pictures of yourself
and your staff members. This shows your customers
they're doing business with real people and will
help ease any worries they might have.
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #9: An FAQ page
It's a
good idea to include a "Frequently Asked
Questions" page on your site. This is where
you list the questions most commonly asked by
your customers and provide answers to them. It
allows your visitors immediate access to the
answers they need before they'll consider buying
your product or service.
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENT #10: Your contact info
In order
to close sales and establish your credibility,
you have to provide full contact information on
your site. This includes your mailing address as
well as fax and phone numbers. Businesses that
only include e-mail addresses come across as
unprofessional and possibly even disreputable.
Make sure
your contact information is clearly visible on
every page of your site. This will make it easy
for customers to know how to reach you if they
want to get more information or buy a product.
Final
Thoughts
Once the
hot weather starts luring your customers to the
beach instead of your web site, take advantage of
the lull by going through your site with a
fine-toothed comb.
Create a
list of "must-do" actions you can take
to optimize its performance. Figure out where you
can get rid of non- essential clutter and
simplify the sales process. Don't forget,
streamlined sites generate more sales!
Take the
time to browse through other sites (including
those of your competitors) to see how your site
compares and get ideas for improvement. What do
you like about their sites? What do you find
annoying about them? This will help you get an
idea of what to include and what to avoid on your
own site.
After
you've made some improvements, ask some friends
to go through your site. How hard is it for them
to get from page to page? Can they easily find
their way back to pages they've already visited?
Are they confused by any aspect of your sales
process? Do they find your site appealing?
Remember: you can never do too much testing!
The
simpler and more user-friendly your site is, the
more sales it will generate. It's as simple as
that. So you should always be thinking about how
you can remove any unnecessary clutter, confusing
links, or visual eyesores to let your sales copy
stand out.
Useful
Resources for Improving Your Site Design
Finally,
here's a list of resources you can use to
maximize the effectiveness of your site:
- Web
Page Analyzer:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
A free web tool that determines how long
it takes for each of your web pages to
load. It also points out which parts of
your page are causing problems.
- WebGraphics
Optimizer:
http://www.webopt.com/
A great tool for optimizing and
compressing images for online use. You'll
be amazed at how much faster your site
downloads once you've reduced the file
size of your graphics!
- AnyBrowser.com:
www.anybrowser.com
Features a helpful tool that allows you
to view your web site as it appears in
all of the major browsers. The site also
offers free HTML software, tools that
allow you to validate your HTML code,
etc.
- NetMechanic:
http://www.netmechanic.com
Features detailed information and advice
on how to improve your site performance,
including webmaster tips and information
on how to check your server.
- SitePoint:
http://www.sitepoint.com
Features articles and tutorials on all
aspects of web site design. It also has
offers different software for sale.
- Builder.com:
http://www.builder.com
Offers articles with related trialware,
as well as e-newsletters, a discussion
center, online courses and library, and
product reviews. The articles are rated
and include readers' comments.
- Webmonkey:
http://www.webmonkey.com
A web developer's resource sponsored by
Lycos.com. It includes a how-to library
as well as reference tools.
- WebDeveloper.com:
http://www.webdeveloper.com
A site
for web developers with articles, and forums on
different coding types, scripting, e-commerce,
etc.
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