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16 tips to improve your site
Online information: www.miazo.com
It's a fact of modern life - people are in a hurry. Nowhere is that more true than on the Internet. It seems that no matter how much the technology improves, nothing is ever fast enough. In fact, several studies indicate that the fast technology advances, the faster people expect things to be. So, please keep your graphics down to a reasonable size. No one wants to wait two minutes while your huge, animating logo loads onto the screen. So minimize your load time, and keep graphics small. Compress them where possible. Use flashy technology (Javascript, Flash, Streaming Audio/Video, animation) sparingly and only if it is important to your presentation. 2. Resolution
This is a highly debatable subject. The norm these days seems to be 800X600. Look at your site in different resolutions to get an idea of what we're talking about. Some people (mostly programmers) think this size is also to small, because they use huge high resolution screens. Don't listen to them, listen to users with an average screen. So, we advice you to use 800X600 because it still looks acceptable to those surfing in resolutions of 1024X768 and higher. 3. Consistency Make sure the site is consistent in look, feel and design. Nothing is more jarring and disturbing to a customer than feeling as if they have just gone to another site. Keep color ranges and themes constant throughout the site. 4. Navigation Keep it simple, and make sure it's consistent from page to page, no matter where you place your menu bar. Limit the choices and direct your customers through a sales process (forced routing). If you want to use Flash, if possible don't design your navigation with it. There are still some people who don't have or want the plug-in, so they won't be able to navigate your site. Besides, search engine spiders can't read it, so won't be able to spider the individual pages of your site if the navigation is done in Flash. 5. Fonts Remember that everyone has installed default fonts on their computers. Your users' computers will display your site in their default fonts (such as Arial, Verdana or Times). Stick to standards. If you must have a certain font used you'll have to turn it into a graphic to maintain its look. 6. Design for indexing 85% of all web users find what they are looking for via the top search engines. Make sure that your page is designed to maximize your placement. Focus on your keywords and keyword density but don't sacrifice your message. Utilize the Meta tags keywords, description and title. Use your keywords when naming your pages. 7. Index Page This may seem like a given, but we going to mention it anyway. The first page of your site should always tell basically who you are and what you're offering. What do these people do, and what's in it for me? You need to answer these questions and do it fast. Surfers are a very impatient group. Stop them before they click away. 8. Contact Information Nothing drives me more insane than having to search through an entire web site just to send the owner an email. Therefore, include always a contact information link in your main navigation throughout the site. Or even better: post your contact info at the bottom of every page of your site, along with your email address. And don't make me fill out a whole form when I just want to send a simple comment. Include your email address, hot linked and ready to go. 9. Content is (still) king Good content sells product. Ask yourself the following questions. Does your copy convey the message you wish to get across to your visitors? Is it compelling? Does it lead your visitor through the sales process? Have others review, critique and edit your copy to insure it is delivering the intended message. Always double check your spelling and grammar. 10. Make It Sticky Include interactive features if possible, such as news feeds. Refresh content on your site on a weekly or daily basis. Use chat rooms, discussion boards, etc. if you want to create a sense of community where people will want to return. 11. Newsletter If you have content; offer a newsletter. If you're going to have a web site you need to offer a newsletter, even if it's strictly going to be about sale items, specials or site updates. You need to start collecting a list of your visitors' email addresses so you can keep in touch with them. Ezines help to keep your site fresh in the client's mind and helps to establish trust and credibility. 12. Target Your Market Know who your market is and make certain that your site caters to their needs. It is critical that your site reflect the values of your potential customers. Is your market mostly business professionals? If so, the site must be clean and professional. Is your product aimed mostly a teenagers and young adults? Then your site could be more informal and relaxed. The key here is to know your market and build the site to their preferences. 13. Focus The Site Make certain your web site is focused on the goal, selling your product or service. A site offering many unrelated products is not necessarily unfocused, but this is often the case. If your business does offer many products, dedicate a unique page for each instead of trying to sell them all from one page. Upselling or cross selling is vital but don't dedicate so much to it that the customer feels caught in a bait and switch. Make mention of other products but do so subtly. 14. Credibility Is Crucial The most professionally designed site won't sell if your customers don't believe in you. The impersonal nature of the Internet breeds a certain level of mistrust. For your web site to be successful you must overcome this tendency. A clear privacy statement is one way to build your credibility. Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement / legal notice posted on line. Provide legitimate contact information on line. Your contact information should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. If you are unwilling to provide this information to your customers, how can they trust (or buy from) you? 15. Offer A Guarantee Offer an ironclad, no exceptions money back guarantee. This item is really a credibility issue but it is important enough to warrant its own mention. What better way to establish your customer's trust than to eliminate any risk for them? If the customer sees that your are willing to assume all of the risk, they will immediately be more inclined to trust you. 16. Make Payment Easy Offer a variety of payment methods for your customer (such as taking credit cards) on your site, if this is neccesary for your business. You can either set up a merchant account or use one of the many credit card clearing houses. Take checks on line. Provide an address for those who prefer to pay by cash, check or money order. Make sure the payment process is clear, easy to access and intuitive to use. Eliminate as many steps as possible. Do not ask for any more information than is necessary to complete the transaction. Nothing frightens a customer off faster than feeling that their privacy is being invaded. Sources
E. Schoppen - MIAZO, International Communications & Design
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