In preparing to design and write my new website, I visited hundreds of other sites to get a feel for what I did/did not want.
For
example, "squeeze pages" are all the rage these days. You know, those
pages which require you to enter your name and email just to get a peek
at the actual website (or you can check the always-too-tiny "enter
site" button to skip the squeeze page).
I’ve decided, at least
for now, not to have a squeeze page, but fully understand why you would
want one (it strongly encourages, we won’t say "forces", people to get
on your mailing list in order to see your website).
Regardless of
whether or not you choose to incorporate a squeeze page on your site,
here’s a list of the top 7 questions you need to ask your website in
order to determine if it’s performing as well as it could.
1. What problem(s) do you solve and what result(s) can I expect?
Your
website must focus on the results, not the benefits that you offer —
your prospects want to know how you can help them solve their problems.
Include results-based testimonials sprinkled throughout your site if
possible.
2. Do you offer an email newsletter or "tip-zine"?
If
you offer an email newsletter, be sure to have your sign-up box with
privacy policy on every page and on the "top" screen (in the event your
readers need to scroll down to read your full page). If you don’t
currently offer an email newslettter or tip-zine, you really need to
check out Jumpstart My Ezine.
3. Is your site "clean"?
By
"clean", I mean is the text easy to read without TOO much formatting?
Do all your links work? Are your navigation buttons easy to find and
understandable? Is your site free of typos?
4. Is your contact information easy to find?
I
recommend putting your contact information on the bottom of every page
— you want it to be easy for your readers to find you if they have a
question. Do this even if you have a "Contact Us" page.
5. Is your domain name intuitive?
When
it comes to domain names (your URL, what people type when going to your
site), it’s more important to be intuitive than to be cute. You could
have the cutest name in the world and it means nothing if people don’t
"get it" and visit your site. Keep it simple.
6. WIIFM
In
addition to your email newsletter or tip-zine, what do you offer your
readers? What’s In It For Me (WIIFM) as a reader of your site? Do you
share a no cost special report, audio tips, e-course? Give your readers
the chance to get to know you through your giveaway item.
Note:
You should still get your email newsletter up and running even if you
don’t currently have a giveaway item — you can add that afterwards.
7. Do you have a picture?
If
you are a solopreneur (single, small business owner) and you want to
generate leads or sell products through the internet, it helps to have
your picture either on your site or in your email newsletter/tip-zine.
When
working "virtually", your readers will come to know and trust you
through the words that you write. It helps for them to have a picture
to connect to — as people, we like to do business with people, not
with faceless companies.
These are just a few strategies to insure that you have a client attractive website which enhances your online presence.
An Assignment For You. . .
Your
assignment for this week is to take a hard look at your website and see
if it measures up. Forget all the work you’ve put into it, forget that
your best friend helped you put it together and look at it as a
prospective client who wants to know more about your business would.
Sandra Martini, the
Automatic Business Coach, and award-winning author teaches small business
owners how to implement processes and systems designed to take them out of the
day-to-day running of their business. For more information and to receive her FREE e-course/audio series, "5 Quick & Easy Ways To Put Your Marketing on Autopilot", visit http://www.SandraMartini.com.