The
8 Second Decision!
You may not
realize it, but your site has only 8 seconds to entice a visitor
to stay and browse your site. Think about what this means...
- If you
have a flashy "splash screen" with little or no content,
the visitor is most likely gone before they even see what you
have to offer.
- Java, video
or Flash movies are not likely to hold a visitor's interest
since they don't even start to play until the file is completely
downloaded. Again, a lost opportunity for a sale.
- Making
the visitor "guess" about what you do by using creative
copy means the visitor is gone long before he can figure out
if you have what he needs.
- Navigation
that is difficult to spot could lose you a visitor.
- Navigation
that is not clearly labeled could frustrate the visitor and,
once again, he's gone.
- A site
that is not professional looking in terms of design or has typos
and/or misspellings- first impressions speak a lot, a visitor
is looking for a professional provider with a good reputation
and work ethic. Major typos and misspellings scream "sloppy"
and a design that looks like your kid did it, screams unprofessional.
Would you do business with your company with a badly designed
site?
Searching
methods - Look & Close
I know that people surf the Internet differently, but here's
how a lot of people search. They go to their favorite search
engine and enter in a search term. Then, they "right-click"
on the results so that they can view a site in a new window or tab.
If they don't spot what they're looking for, they simply close
the window or tab and return to the search results to repeat the process
until they find a site that has what they're seeking.
Even those
who don't use the "right-click" are well aware of
the "back" button and will return to the search results
if they don't see what they're looking for immediately. With
this type of search efficiency, you can see why it's important
that your message is conveyed quickly.
On the
Internet success is measured by efficiency.
Keep your site sharp, professional and to-the-point and you
should see excellent results. If you insist on "eye candy"
and creative and vague copy, you will be disappointed.
If you must
design your own site - keep it simple. Simple can be elegant
and direct. Unless you're a professional designer, don't try
to add bells-and-whistles or attempt a complicated design. There
are too many issues that need to be taken into consideration
when designing a site, so simple will work best for you. Instead
of trying to create an eye-catching design, work on good, solid
copy that will catch the visitor's attention.
Build
a Better Mousetrap
One way to determine if your site is doing all it can to service
the site visitor is to put a "Webmaster Feedback"
link on it. This gives site visitors an opportunity to tell
you what they like and don't like about your site and whether
or not it provided them with the information they were seeking.
Bear in mind that you're likely to get more complaints than
accolades, but that's okay - this feedback is important to improve
your site. For example, you may have a T1 line or cable modem
connection and the pages are loading very fast only to find
out that the majority of your site visitors are on a dial-up
and the pages are "hanging."
It's difficult
for a site owner to put himself in the visitor's shoes, so the
feedback will help to see your site from a visitor's standpoint.
If you design a site only to meet your needs (more sales) and
disregard what visitors are looking for (information), you will
not be happy with your Internet presence.
