A friend of mine wrote an ebook for men who want to be more successful in attracting women (see www.dreamwoman.net). He drew on his extensive experience and knowledge and produced a great book. At first glance, you might think that this is a mass market product - surely most men will want a book like that? But look more carefully and you will see that this is, in fact, a product for a niche market. It could appeal to men of all ages, but my guess is that most of interest is likely to come from men between ages of 20 and 40, they will mostly be unmarried and un-partnered, they will be 'straight' not 'gay', they can read English and are motivated to find a female partner (or several).

So before you launch your next web marketing project, spend some time thinking about which niche market you want to appeal to - and then do some research. Draw a mental picture of your target customer and look at your site from their point of view.

Ask yourself - what problem does my product solve for them? In case of my friend's book, problem may be lack of self-confidence. In case of Stop Snoring Spray, it may be sleepless nights. If you can define problem and offer a readily-available and affordable solution, you have found yourself a nice niche market!

((((((((((c)P J Chandler))))))))))))))

P J Chandler writes about online marketing and other topics. His web site, with excellent web site promotion, submission and marketing resources is at http://www.domainomania.com

((((((((((c)P J Chandler))))))))))))))

Our friends in second category are no different then people who couldn't wait to try every font available when WYSIWYG word processors came out. Problem is, nobody reads this stuff. Period.

And folks in third category choose to underline words leading people to believe they're hyperlinks or forget to use consistent font formatting (ie serif versus san serif fonts) on similar pages. Besides looking goofy, it again reflects poorly on Website owner's attention to detail.

5. Poor Navigational Method Simply put, if a user can't tell where he is within a given website, at all times, they will eventually become disoriented. There should always be a consistent navigational method through site that allows user to know exactly where he is, and how he can get elsewhere. If you make it hard for your visitors to find their way around your site, they'll find their way to somebody else's site.

6. Graphics (Yes, Size Does Matter) There is nothing more annoying then waiting minutes for a page to load. And while many folks are connecting to Internet much faster than ever before, if you don't design your site for lowest common denominator, you'll end up turning away vast majority of users who still surf web at modem speeds.

We understand that graphics make for a much more visually appealing environment. Just make sure to use smallest graphic size possible.

7. Browser Bias Oh sure, it would appear that Microsoft rules world, but does that mean all other browsers should concede defeat? NEVER!

When designing a website, it is important to recognize that although Microsoft browser owns majority of browser market, it does not own it all! Depending on site (and more importantly, content of site), I have seen Microsoft browser accounting for between 50 - 80% of traffic. That means that 20 - 50% of users ARE NOT using Microsoft browser. This, my friends, is important to remember!

The test of a great website designer is that he/she ensures that their site looks and responds same, regardless of browser being used. The truth is, without exception, almost EVERY website I inspect fails this test.

Why? Because most WYSIWYG design programs do not write code that works same for all browsers. And most designers are too lazy to take time and test their work in both Netscape and Microsoft browsers (Opera & Mozilla too, for that matter).

Because goal of every website in WORLD is same, designing a site that ignores a particular browser is tantamount to designing a site that ignores a particular visitor. Ask your sale, support, or marketing VP if they want to ignore upwards of 50% of their visitors. Once they get off floor, they'll answer that question with obvious response.

Marketing Mistakes -------------------------------------

8. Lacking a Clearly Defined Message. It is surprising how many folks rush out to show off their latest design triumph without asking themselves this simple question, "Who is your target audience?" Without being able to clearly articulate who you're trying to attract, you'll have a very difficult time designing a site that gets your message across.

Equally important is to realize that having too many targets is as risky as not having any. Just as you can't be all things to all people, neither can a well designed Website. Pick your target, and you'll be surprised how much easier it is to decide what should or should not go on your site.

9. Stagnation is not Where Single Deer Live. Unless you are about to close doors on your company, there is always something web-worthy for your site. By establishing a pattern of constantly adding or changing information on your site, you'll entice visitors to keep coming back for more. Can't think of anything to add? Then why should a visitor return?

10. Under Construction Do not invite a customer to a section that has not been completed. Either hide section, or get enough content in that area to make it valuable. Anything less is a waste of visitor's time, and is disappointing.

Even more concerning; if a visitor believes a section/page of your site is "always under construction", chances that he'll mosey that way when you have completed it are nil. ________________________________ Scott Whitney is a speaker, trainer, consultant, author and expert in website development and broadcast campaign marketing. Visual examples of above mistakes, along with five bonus "mistakes" is yours free at http://www.whitcom.com.

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