Build a Website that Sells

posted by Ted on December 23, 2011

While searching for a missing part to my workout machine, I stumbled upon a website that claimed to offer the elusive part for sale. The layout of this site was so confusing, I literally got dizzy trying to navigate through it. It would have been easier to find my way out of a giant kaleidoscope with binoculars on. After a few short minutes of this nightmare, I finally left the site for good.

Sadly, websites like this are all too common. Far too many times with the sites I visit, it is almost impossible to find my way around, or even tell what the site is actually about. In many cases I simply leave. This is obviously not the action want you want from your visitors.

Whenever you build a website, there are a few simple, but critical rules you must follow:

Focus Your Visitor

What is the purpose of your site? Is the purpose to sell a product or build your list? You must determine what the number one goal of your website is, then be sure to focus your visitors in that direction.

Make Your Site User Friendly

If you want to keep your visitors interested, don’t confuse them. Nature dictates that most people don’t have very long attention spans. You have at the most 30-60 seconds to get them interested in your site before they click away. If the content on your site is too difficult for people to read, they will just move on. So make it as user friendly as possible.

Use A Simple Background

You want people to focus on your content, not be distracted by your background. This is why you can almost never go wrong with a white background. If you must use a different color, make sure it is light and not filled with distracting graphics. Remember, your background should compliment your site, not be the star.

Keep The Banners To A Minimum

Nothing screams “unprofessional” like a site filled with a dozen banners, begging you to click on them. This is one the biggest reasons why someone will instantly leave your website.

If you are trying to generate ad revenue, you should keep it to a maximum of three strategically placed banners on each page. Test which banners generate the most revenue and stick with those.

When your site turns someone off, you have no chance of benefiting in any shape or form from that visitor. However, by using these simple tips above, you will have a much better chance to get a sale, make a commission or add a new subscriber to your list.

Tags:conversion rate,internet marketing,search engine,seo,visitor experience,Web Design and Development,website management,website optimization