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| FEATURE GUEST ARTICLE "HOW TO MAKE YOUR SITE SELL" By: Ernest Seger, Internet Business Marketing Would you like to know the REAL secrets to succeeding on the Web? The simplest formula for succeeding that I have ever seen was written by Internet Marketing guru Ken Evoy of SiteSell: STEP 1 -- Develop a great product. STEP 2 -- Build a site that SELLS With Deadly Efficiency. STEP 3 -- Attract targeted traffic to the site. In this article, we will focus on step 2, and some rules to follow that will help you build a web site that *really* sells. Rule #1: Good content *can* overcome bad site design Content is King. And content means one thing . words. Deliver a credible message using a Sans Serif font (like Arial) against a white background. And don't allow your sentences to stretch across the screen! Rule #2: Good site design cannot overcome bad content. Don't add anything to your site that distracts from your selling message. If it's not necessary to make your selling point don't use it. Visitors captivated by your graphics, roll-overs and animations are NOT reading your content. Your sales-to-visitor ratio will plummet. Here's a site that is plain and downright disappointing. No flash at all. Just a focused, credible message that sells Rule #3: Provide clear and consistent navigation. Any piece of information should be no more than three clicks away from any other piece of information. Here are some examples of flashy navigation that frustrates visitors: http://www.chandlerok.com/yellowpages/ypaddresses.htm What Amazon.com would look like if they were designed by these guys: http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/badamazon/random.html Rule #4: Place interesting content near the top of the page. You have on average 7 seconds to grab a visitor's attention. Rule #5: Each page should load no slower than 25 seconds using a 28.8 modem. In 1999, 50% of the people coming online with AOL were using 14.4 modems! Use small graphics that have been compressed. Test your site here: http://www.websitegarage.com Rule #6: Watch your equipment as you design your site. Your page may look great on your 19" monitor using Internet Explorer 5, but what will it look like on Navigator or WebTV? http://www.anybrowser.com Rule #7: You must accept online payments at your site. Here are some interesting resources: http://www.ibill.com can charge purchases to a phone bill http://www.i-check.net and http://www.readycheck.com will allow you to take checks over the Internet. http://www.cybercash.com/ is the simplest. It puts a button next to your product and simply asks, "Want to buy this? Click here". No merchant account needed. Rule #8: Provide good customer service by answering every email promptly. Even if only to say "Hi, we got your message". Here is a recommended free auto responder service: http://www.autobots.net Rule #9: Color really impacts your visitors - see http://www.pantone.com. Can you guess the number 1 corporate color in America? Hint: "Big Blue", Ford, Chrysler, Benz, etc. Rule #10: Give something away. The most searched-for word on the Internet is "Free" You can take these 10 rules "to the bank". ================================================
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