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Digg it UP - 12 Tips To Great Websites
Have you noticed that speakers at conferences and events are considered as the “go to” expert in their field just because they are positioned as a speaker?Speaking and presenting are great ways of extending your reach and promoting your expertise so that you attract more clients.Here are 7 tips to enhance your professional presentations.1. DO YOUR RESEARCH – If you have been approached to speak at an event, make sure that you check with the events organiser who has been the most recent speakers and what they talked about. You need to make sure that you provide value to the attendees and do not repeat what others have spoken about.2. PREPARE FOR SUCCESS – As the group you are speaking with will probably have had other events, ask the event organiser what success will look like for their attendees.3. MAK
6. Privacy
A clear privacy statement is "must have". Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Do not think that because you are small, you don't need to do this, and all the other items. It matters. Provide an easy-to-see link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information.
7. Guarantee Everything
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions, money back guarantee. This also establishes credibility but it is important enough to s
There are 2 reasons why a client might want to read your newsletter. 1) Because he or she is interested in your product and service and wants to read articles relating to that product or service; 2) He or she finds your newsletter so fascinating anyway that they will read articles that don't directly relate to your product and service because...well...your newsletter is so damn good!That's not to say you will want to steer clear of writing articles that relate to what you have to offer. You should in fact devote a large portion of your newsletter to these. After all, your reader is likely to be interested in these articles, and you'll be able to benefit because you will be educating readers to the advantages of what you offer and then slip in 'reasons to buy' (hang on for a later post on this topic) within the articles.But
1. Location, Location, Location
The old real estate saying applies to websites as well, but Internet location is really the website name. You must have a name that is easily remembered and that reinforces your business.
If you can use your actual business name, that's great. But if not, then choose one that will bring surfers to your site - your product. BestWidgets.com says it all, but JonesBrothers.biz doesn't help at all for a small business.
2. Focus
What are you selling? Concentrate on that one thing (or group of things). Unrelated products can confuse and irritate your viewer. If you offer many products, dedicate a page for each one. Up-selling great, 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. Remember, too, that domain names are cheap to get and to host, so consider having a different website for each product or service grouping.
3. Load Fast
You only have between 10 and 30 seconds to capture your potential customer's attention. Make your site load fast, minimizing graphics to those really needed, keeping the actual page size rather small. Stay away from glitzy animations and sounds. That fancy flash movie may be really cool, but not so after you have seen it a dozen times!
You can make your secondary pages a bit longer once you have the prospect on your site. Don't forget to test your pages at different connection speeds. Your cable modem may blaze, but what happens on a 56k modem on dialup? You may be surprised. Also make sure that all your cool stuff works on all current browsers. FrontPage and DreamWeaver both let you test this, and if you are serious about your business site, you need one of them, or a good web designer.
4. Target Your Audience
Who are you selling to? It is critical that your site reflect the desires of your potential customers. Are you trying to sell to teenagers between 14 and 17? If so, the site must be designed for what they expect to see. Is your product aimed mostly at home-based businesses? Then you can afford to emphasize different products or services on different pages. The key here is to know your market and build the site to their preferences. Don't try to be all things to all people.
5. Credibility Is Crucial
Your contact info should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. Remember, too, that a PO Box is an acceptable address if you are working from home. If you are unwilling to provide this information to your customers, how can they trust (or buy from) you?
6. Privacy
A clear privacy statement is "must have". Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Do not think that because you are small, you don't need to do this, and all the other items. It matters. Provide an easy-to-see link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information.
7. Guarantee Everything
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions, money back guarantee. This also establishes credibility but it is important enough to st
Many people have shown done case studies on the Office Supply Industry and there has been literally an over kill of white papers, research and even books written on the issue. Currently in the market there are several such category killer businesses in that sectors such as Office Max, Office Depot and Staples. Indeed, we should also not forget Corporate Express either.Most people and consumers believe this sector to be a retail endeavor, yet that is not really so. In fact the biggest income generator is the catalog and Internet sales to Corporations and it is know that businesses which have 20 or more employees spend $200 per year in office supplies. Are you shocked by that high number; well you should not be if you are in a small business for yourself and post all your office supplies receipts into Quick Books and fill out your
2. Focus
What are you selling? Concentrate on that one thing (or group of things). Unrelated products can confuse and irritate your viewer. If you offer many products, dedicate a page for each one. Up-selling great, 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. Remember, too, that domain names are cheap to get and to host, so consider having a different website for each product or service grouping.
3. Load Fast
You only have between 10 and 30 seconds to capture your potential customer's attention. Make your site load fast, minimizing graphics to those really needed, keeping the actual page size rather small. Stay away from glitzy animations and sounds. That fancy flash movie may be really cool, but not so after you have seen it a dozen times!
You can make your secondary pages a bit longer once you have the prospect on your site. Don't forget to test your pages at different connection speeds. Your cable modem may blaze, but what happens on a 56k modem on dialup? You may be surprised. Also make sure that all your cool stuff works on all current browsers. FrontPage and DreamWeaver both let you test this, and if you are serious about your business site, you need one of them, or a good web designer.
4. Target Your Audience
Who are you selling to? It is critical that your site reflect the desires of your potential customers. Are you trying to sell to teenagers between 14 and 17? If so, the site must be designed for what they expect to see. Is your product aimed mostly at home-based businesses? Then you can afford to emphasize different products or services on different pages. The key here is to know your market and build the site to their preferences. Don't try to be all things to all people.
5. Credibility Is Crucial
Your contact info should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. Remember, too, that a PO Box is an acceptable address if you are working from home. If you are unwilling to provide this information to your customers, how can they trust (or buy from) you?
6. Privacy
A clear privacy statement is "must have". Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Do not think that because you are small, you don't need to do this, and all the other items. It matters. Provide an easy-to-see link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information.
7. Guarantee Everything
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions, money back guarantee. This also establishes credibility but it is important enough to s
Many people take for granted the powerful persuading influence of humor. Humor is often tossed off as sheer entertainment or mere speech filler. The truth is, when you engage an audience with humor, you are accomplishing much more than just getting a laugh out of them. Humor disarms an audience, making them more likely to open up to you. Once your prospects feel comfortable with you, they will be more in tune to your message and more likely to remain attentive. Audience members usually like and are drawn to a person who can make them laugh, helping them become more receptive. And perhaps most powerful of all, in our fast-paced culture where most things are fleeting, they remember you and continue to hold you in a positive light long after the initial exchange. When you leverage the
You can make your secondary pages a bit longer once you have the prospect on your site. Don't forget to test your pages at different connection speeds. Your cable modem may blaze, but what happens on a 56k modem on dialup? You may be surprised. Also make sure that all your cool stuff works on all current browsers. FrontPage and DreamWeaver both let you test this, and if you are serious about your business site, you need one of them, or a good web designer.
4. Target Your Audience
Who are you selling to? It is critical that your site reflect the desires of your potential customers. Are you trying to sell to teenagers between 14 and 17? If so, the site must be designed for what they expect to see. Is your product aimed mostly at home-based businesses? Then you can afford to emphasize different products or services on different pages. The key here is to know your market and build the site to their preferences. Don't try to be all things to all people.
5. Credibility Is Crucial
Your contact info should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. Remember, too, that a PO Box is an acceptable address if you are working from home. If you are unwilling to provide this information to your customers, how can they trust (or buy from) you?
6. Privacy
A clear privacy statement is "must have". Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Do not think that because you are small, you don't need to do this, and all the other items. It matters. Provide an easy-to-see link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information.
7. Guarantee Everything
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions, money back guarantee. This also establishes credibility but it is important enough to s
Think back to the carefree days of summer camp. Remember the excitement of releasing the rope swing to land in a cool lake? Wasn’t it great fun to play Capture the Flag at dusk, racing into the woods that cast semi-scary shadows? Camp directors often get letters from parents saying, “My son returned from camp with self-confidence and a new outlook on life. He talks often about his camp counselor. I know that counselor played a large role in bringing about a positive change in my son.”The leadership style of camp counselors transfers over to the business world. Try incorporating some of these camp counselor characteristics with your staff.Camp counselors display leadership. They are the ones saying, “Let’s get this cabin cleaned up so we win the Pink Flamingo award!” Yes, the familiar “Management by Walking Around” has its
5. Credibility Is Crucial
Your contact info should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. Remember, too, that a PO Box is an acceptable address if you are working from home. If you are unwilling to provide this information to your customers, how can they trust (or buy from) you?
6. Privacy
A clear privacy statement is "must have". Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Do not think that because you are small, you don't need to do this, and all the other items. It matters. Provide an easy-to-see link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information.
7. Guarantee Everything
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions, money back guarantee. This also establishes credibility but it is important enough to s
Remember: Adsense doesn't make you money; traffic makes you moneyWrite posts that link to good content on higher-ranked sites in your niche. If your traffic is low, click on those links yourself - webmasters will take notice.Post on forums in your niche and add your site to your signatureSubmit articles to article directoriesUse Technorati TagsSubmit your best articles to Digg and Del.icio.usComment on other blogs with similar themes to yoursBecome a regular on several similarly-themed blogs you likeUse Google SitemapsWrite about well-known people in your nicheUse a blogroll, but only add sites that you would really recommend. Less is more.Read Problogger Remember: Good content + good advertising
6. Privacy
A clear privacy statement is "must have". Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Do not think that because you are small, you don't need to do this, and all the other items. It matters. Provide an easy-to-see link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information.
7. Guarantee Everything
Offer an ironclad, no exceptions, money back guarantee. This also establishes credibility but it is important enough to stand alone. If the customer sees that your are willing to assume all of the risk, they will immediately be more inclined to trust you. If you are providing a downloadable product and someone asks for a refund, don't get hung up on their still having the product. Just ask them to delete it and then you forget about it. The last thing you want to do is to get into an argument with a customer.
8. Payment
If you don't currently take credit cards, start doing so immediately. You can either set up a merchant account or use a service like PayPal or ClickBank. Take checks on line through PayPal. Provide an address for those who prefer to pay by check or money order, but make it clear that you do not accept cash. Say that you do, and someone is sure to claim they sent you money and got no product.
Make sure the payment method is easy to access and use. Do not ask for any more information than is necessary to complete the transaction. If you don't need the info, don't ask for it. Remember, too, that if you are keeping customer credit card info online, you had better have a very good firewall and anti-spam software. There is a major liability potential here. That is why outside services like PayPal are so popular. The keep the card info and you never see even it.
9. Easy Site Navigation
Make site navigation easy and intuitive. While it may be artistic to make your index page all black and hide the link to continue, will that generate business? If your customer can not navigate your site to find what they want, they will go elsewhere. Limit the choices and direct your customers through a sales process.
10. Design Consistency
Make sure the site is consistent through out your site. New pages should look consistent with old pages. If you want to change the design of a new page, consider a total site redesign. Nothing is more disturbing to a customer than feeling as if they have just gone to another site. Keep colors and themes constant throughout the site.
11. Content is King
Does your website get the message across to your visitors? Is it compelling? Is the site user-friendly? Does it lead your visitor through the sales process? Have a few friends or colleagues review, critique and edit your copy to insure it is delivering the intended message. But first, make sure they are good spellers! Always double check your spelling and grammar.
12. Be Search Engine Friendly
About 85% of all web users find what they are looking for via the top search engines. Your web pages must be easy for the search engine spiders to find and navigate. Focus on your keywords and keyword density within your page, but don't try to write just for the search engines. Utilize the meta tags keywords, description
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