| Nothing can be more frustrating than visiting a web | | | | It's very easy to find color charts online that tell you |
| site and notbeing able to find what you are looking | | | | whatthe different colors mean. |
| for. | | | | 4. Include original content Your visitor is only going to |
| Maybe the site is just plain ugly, or looks like it was | | | | stayabout 10 seconds if he/she has seen the same |
| done bya kid attacked by a box of Crayola crayons. | | | | content somewhereelse. |
| If you're going to do business on the Internet, you | | | | Whether you are a writer or not, you can create |
| need aprofessional web site. This is your business | | | | useful content. |
| card and thevisitors' introduction to who you are. | | | | Use your unique perspective to create a free report |
| First impressions count. You want to make a good | | | | or ebook orarticles your reader can read on your site. |
| firstimpression, and you want to get your potential | | | | If you're offering affiliate programs, create a review. |
| visitor tobookmark your site. | | | | Tell thevisitor something about that product that's |
| Here's how to create a good first impression and | | | | not included in thesales letter. Let him/her know what |
| keep your newvisitor coming back for more. | | | | you liked about the productand how it has helped |
| 1. Give your site a purpose. Do you know what you | | | | you. |
| want your website to do? | | | | 5. Give the visitor a free offer One of the easiest |
| Maybe your goal is to make the sale. If this is your | | | | ways to winthe heart of your visitor is to offer |
| goal, thenyou want to make sure that you include | | | | something free. This willnot only help you establish |
| useful content for yourvisitor to read. | | | | credibility in the mind of thevisitor, but if you give |
| Make it interesting, and emphasize the benefits of | | | | before you get, your visitor is morelikely to consider |
| your offer. | | | | your offer. |
| Give him/her useful information. | | | | Unfortunately, freebies abound online, so getting your |
| 2. Make it fast loading I have cable modem, so if I'm | | | | visitorto accept your freebie can be tough. |
| reallyinterested in the site, I'll wait around for it to | | | | There are several things you can do to make your |
| download sothat I can look at the content. | | | | freebievaluable. |
| Unfortunately, most people are using dial-up. If your | | | | Again, you want to create original content. It could |
| site takesmore than 10 to 15 seconds to load, your | | | | be a freeecourse, an ebook or report. Just make |
| visitor will just clickaway and go somewhere else. | | | | sure that the informationyou are offering can't be |
| The easiest way to make sure your site is fast | | | | found anywhere else. |
| loading is to goeasy on the graphics. Although | | | | Write it from your perspective. Offering your unique |
| graphics can make your sitevisually appealing, they | | | | perspectivecan go further in winning the heart of |
| can take forever to load. | | | | your visitor than greatwriting. |
| If you must include graphics, then use a graphics | | | | You can also offer a sample of your product. This |
| compressor toshrink your graphics so that that they | | | | could beseveral chapters from your book or or a |
| load more quickly. | | | | demo version ofsoftware. |
| Below are some sites online where you can shrink .gif | | | | You can also offer a free newsletter, but make sure |
| and .jpg,your most common graphic files, for free. | | | | you includesome content that's your own. There are |
| Now I've seen some pretty terrific interactive sites | | | | hundreds of thousands ofnewsletters online, and your |
| online. | | | | visitor won't stay subscribed verylong if he/she is |
| They may use flash or some other kind of scripting | | | | reading the same thing over and over. |
| to make theminteractive. | | | | 6. Capture contact information Before you give away |
| Although these types of sites can be fun places to | | | | thatfreebie, make sure you get the visitor's contact |
| visit, if youhave a business site, you want to skip | | | | information. Iknow you've heard this a million times, |
| creating this type ofinteractivity. You'll have slow load | | | | but it takes repeatedexposure of your message to |
| times, and you'll losevisitors fast. | | | | your visitor in order to finallymake the sale. |
| 3. Choose a good design | | | | It's very important to build your list. You want to |
| Keep it simple. Stick to the same color scheme. You | | | | create amarket that is hungry for your products. A |
| don'twant something that looks like it was painted by | | | | list of people whoare interested in what you have to |
| a two yearold. | | | | say gives you a better chanceof making the sale. |
| Think about what works well on screen. Have you | | | | A good, clean, professionally designed web site can |
| evertried to read yellow type on an orange | | | | go a longway towards building your reputation online. |
| background? Thinkabout your reader. | | | | First impressionscount. Make your first impression |
| Different colors mean different things to different | | | | keep your visitors coming back. |
| peopleand cultures. Keep that in mind. | | | | |