The Golden Rule Of Website Building
|
|
Copyright 2005 Robert Evans
Setting yourself up to earn a steady monthly income has to be a pre-requisite to your success online. There is no doubt that large sums of money can be made (and indeed are being made) from selling products or services online.
With over 500,000,000 internet users (and that figure is already obsolete even as I write this) the potential for long term wealth is very high indeed.
This fantastic new medium has brought untold possibilities for the small trader operating in a niche market. In fact the internet is made for just that type of marketer. It therefore goes without saying that anyone with the desire, knowledge or ability to market just about any kind of product or service online is a potential millionaire in the making!
You are probably already aware of the importance of having a website to use as a focal point for any products or servicesyou are selling.
But do you know the golden rule you should always keep in mind when building your site and making it ready to welcome all those potential buyers? This rule is - keep it simple!
When I started out with my first web site I broke this rule of simplicity by filling every inch of my Home Page with all manner of graphics and fonts. This slowed down the loading time. There were also a number of links to other web sites that took my visitors away from my site - and almost certainly they never came back.
It took me a whole eighteen months to realise that what I was doing was never going to work. When I now look at the websites I was promoting a year and a half ago I cringe. What possessed me to put so much effort into them! Because I really did work hard at putting them together.
Take a good look at your own site. Pay very close attention to the following points:
* page design - navigation should be easy
* HTML - use of keywords in title and description meta tags
* use of graphics - minimum number should be used relevant to the theme of the site
* use of text/fonts - black text on a white background works best
* hyperlinks - use the "target_blank" tag to ensure external pages open in a new window
* reason for existence - is the purpose of the site clear?
Believe me, when it comes to setting up a website that SELLS, you do not need stunning graphics, dynamic HTML or Java Script. These things could spell the end of your business! Especially when it comes to getting ranked on the major Search Engines. (Don't ignore these, they could be responsible for up to 80% of traffic to your site!)
So, here is a summary of how your Home Page should be made up:
* a maximum of 2 graphics and these must be central to the theme of the site
* about 800 words of text, including a list of benefits and a good description of what you offer
* a clear navigation bar
* a colour scheme that is consistent but not "glaring"
* any links to external sites should open in a new window
* try to avoid placing a graphic at the top of the page
* use Meta Tags that include one or two keywords in the title and three or four in the description
* try to keep the page under 20 kbs - 10 would be ideal
And all other pages should follow the same basic design. Keep these points in mind and you will be well on the way to creating a fast loading page that will be pleasing on the eye and will also be acceptable to the major Search Engines. And when it comes to submitting your site - there is no real need to do this, just keep updating your pages on a regular basis. This is better than submitting your site because in any case the search engine spiders ill find your site if it is worth finding.
Robert Evans has been doing business online since October 2000. He runs a resource center and provides dozens of free and low cost marketing techniques: http://www.market4profit.net
|
|
|
Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites
Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE NewsletterIs A Picture Really Worth A Thousand Words?
The great debate: how much copy you should have on your site, particularly on the home page?Do you subscribe to the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words--and therefore images, not a lot of text, should be the main thrust of your home page? Or do words have more power to capture a visitor's attention and compel them to buy--meaning you should aim for powerful copy?As a graphic designer, my natural inclination is to create graphically-rich, light text websites. Since I'm focused on what a site looks like visually, I like using impressive images, bold splashes of color all over the page, and not very much copy. The en...(related: Web Design)
Do You Really Need A Website?
Nope. You certainly don't need a website.But you don't need many of the things you've come to rely on, such as your cell phone, e-mail, or faxes.And there's no point in having an Internet presence if those you want to reach lack computers or online capabilities. Or, if you have nothing to say. But, if you do have something to say, and your audience is accessible on the Internet, then consider a website.Years before the Internet, I prepared a brochure to give to people who wanted to know what I did. It was pocket size, so I always had a few on hand to give out. And it was more impressive, and more descriptive of my services than a business card. Think of a website as an electronic brochure with man...(related: Web Design)
The Top 8 Website Sins Part One
They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Your website then is the window to your business. What would a passerby think of your "window"? What does your website say about you? About your business?Does your website entice the visitor to pause and take a few moments to look around or does it confuse them so much they click past it without ever looking back.The goal of your website is to make the visitor stay until the desired visitor response has been achieved. That might be that they sign up for your newsletter, complete a survey or make a purchase. If surfer doesn't stay for more than a few moments ...(related: Web Design)
Web Publishing Guide For The Beginning Entrepreneur (part 1)
The best things don't come easy. - QuotedThe finished web pages in your hands could be likened to a painting by Michelangelo without the Sistine Chapel. In your case, the Sistine Chapel would be the web server to host your web site masterpiece.This is the first part of a series of articles touching on various aspects of publishing on the web. In this edition, we will dwell on the aspect of domain name and web hosting.Domain NameFirst, you need to register your domain name. FYI, a domain name is the location of your web site on the Internet, just like http://www.internetmarketinglearningcenter.com.You should have your own domain name if you e...(related: Web Design)
Why Is A Logo So Important To Your Business?
Well, a logo for your business. Why is it important? Does it matter what it looks like? Is Yours Professional?These are some good questions to ask when you are considering to get a logo design or already have a logo for your business. See a logo speaks volume about y...(related: Web Design)
How To Increase Your Conversion Rate Or What Most People Miss When It Comes To Optimization
Everybody talks about the importance of testing your sales copy or a page layout. After all, proper testing can help you modify your page in a way that will drastically increase your conversion rate.In this article, I would like to describe a way to shorten the amount of time it takes to test your pages and to increase the probability of success.Before I go any further, I would like to introduce a few concepts and notions that will be used in this article.Attribute -- a specific visual or conce...(related: Web Design)
Website Advertising: 10 Dynamic Tactics To Super-charge Your Sales
Here are 10 dynamic website advertising tactics to super-charge your sales, starting now:1. Test different web site color themes to see whichcombination will sell your product better. You canalso test the size and styl...(related: Web Design)
Shameless Flashers - Using Flash Tools To Create Spectacular Websites
Flash is a powerful technology that can help you create spectacular websites, tutorials and demos. Find out which inexpensive tools are available to you that have very low learning curve.SWFTextSWF Text is an author tool of Flash text animation. It embraces 150+ text effects and 20+ background effects, and users may also customize all the properties of a Flash, including font, text color, and layout, etc. With SW FText, a user without any experience of Flash development can easily create a Flash banner or an introductory page within a few minutes. And all you need do is to input text, select font and animation effects. While a veteran Flash desi...(related: Web Design)
Creating A Favicon
Once, I attempted to create a favicon (the little graphic in the URL address box) for this Web site, but never did finish the work until now. I used a free program that allowed me to copy and paste an image to create an icon, but I believe it has spyware so I won't share its name. There are many icon creators out there.In Photoshop (or whatever drawing program you have), I created a 16x16 pixel workspace. Added what I wanted in the icon (never could come up wi...(related: Web Design)
When Your Graphic Designer Costs You Money
So how do you know when your graphic designer costs you financially and emotionally?When a file is not prepared correctly? When you go to press and have your media material produced in prints, and find out that the file was built incorrectly, then that's the time when your graphic designer will cost you money.Many pre-press operators have complained about having to correct graphic designers work. To have a file prepared incorrectly can have drastic financial and emotional consequences to the owner. The time needed to rectify the problem can cause major delays and additional expense. This is due to the graphic designer's understanding that his job is done when he produces the design that you re...(related: Web Design)
Website Design Info - Part 1
What Will My Site Do?This is the first of eight articles about website design. Our discussion will deal with some of the issues which need to be considered when developing a new online presence. You may have already thought of some of these, but perhaps there are may be things which you haven't yet considered.The CompanyThe Great American Widget Company is a manufacturer of widgets, that common household item that many find indispensable. Until now, however, Great American has been a 'brick and mortar' business. With the founder's son just out of college, he is looking forward to expanding the company's business on the Internet.What is the new website expected to do?Before doing anything else, before you even consider...(related: Web Design)
Creating Personal Web Sites (part 2)
This is the second part of a two-part article about creating a web site on the Internet and the tools that you will need to do it.Some basic terminology that you should take a look at before proceeding further:Web Page: A document that contains information created with the help of HTML.Web Site: A collection of web pages on a particular subject.HTML: Also known as Hyper Text Markup Language it is used for the creation of web pages. Information is written in between HTML tags ( ) to instruct the web page as to how the information will be displayed. You can also put images into the...(related: Web Design)
Using Your Personal Website To Clinch That Job!
With an increasing number of employment portals emerging, it is apparent that internet tools do help bring the job-seeker and the potential employer together. A sophisticated job search en...(related: Web Design)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Empower! Web Design | All Rights Reserved. | Web Design