"Let Your Little Website Shine" Part 5Written by Lynne Schlumpf
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any? In a retail store, people walk in expecting to buy. On a website, they're aware that you're selling something, but it's kind of like that store where you that salespeople are constantly nagging you, asking you if they can help you. Subtlety says it all! 'Nuff said. 11. Is not like everyone else's: This kind of goes along with Element number 11 of presenting image your company has. Have you ever noticed that many sites that represent companies in same category all look alike? I'm not picking on any sites in particular. You know which ones they are. Try not to be a clone. This could take a long time to figure out how, but it is really crucial that you make your site unique. If it reminds visitors of someone else, they can easily lose brand identification that you'd like them to have about your product. If your site is memorable without being obnoxious, they'll remember you. The Internet makes it really easy to forget what sites you went to. Make sure your site is one they'll bookmark or add to their favorites in order to visit again. That's ultimate compliment - one you're working for. "Please come back soon" is tougher to ensure on Web. One site deals with mechanics of using a program called Bryce 3D by Metacreations. The site has a very unique name, but it also epitomizes Bryce 3D's capabilities because of its awesome graphics. You may have been there: www.digitalblasphemy.com. Great place to pick up free wallpaper for your desktop, which keeps people coming back, but it is also a great place to just learn about Bryce 3D. People don't easily forget name or focus of site. This is your ultimate goal. Another website you won't soon forget is www.websitesthatsuck.com. You’ll especially not forget them if they decide your site belongs in their list of Sucky Sites! Thanks for your joining me again! You’ve been so patient. (grin) Next time is our last time together, but we’ll talk about something very crucial to keeping your website in your visitors’ minds: Keeping in touch. See you again soon!
Lynne Schlumpf is the CEO of Route 66 Cyber Cafe, Inc., http://www.r66cci.com, a Web hosting and design company specializing in promoting websites for new owners, building affordable e-commerce sites, and providing reliable web hosting solutions as an affiliate of Virtualis Incorporated.
| | "Let Your Little Website Shine" Part 4Written by Lynne Schlumpf
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surfer. 7. Serves a great need: Just like any other marketing strategy, most important question to ask yourself is "What human need is my website and product going to fulfill?" This is same question you'll ask yourself about your product or service. This helps you to stay focused on purpose of your website and keeps content consistently targeted towards that need or group of needs. Any sale happens because person buying felt like product or service was going to fulfill a need they had. Get to know what kinds of needs people have. Maslow said that people have a hierarchy of needs. He saw first needs that must be fulfilled are basic survival needs like air, water, food, and sex. After those were fulfilled, he believed that humans try to fulfill safety needs like security and stability in their lives. The most complex needs are self-actualizing needs like love, belonging, acceptance. Try to figure out what your service or product fulfills as far as human needs you’re your website has to incite feelings in a person. Does your website allow them to dream about a better life? A new car? Capitalize on it, and direct your website to treating them as if they're your friend. Know how it feels to have this need fulfilled. This may seem a little deep to you for a sale, but security need has been targeted over and over by insurance salesmen! Have you ever had to use restroom so bad in a meeting that you could not concentrate on what was going on in that meeting? This is what Maslow meant by hierarchy of needs. This may take some thought, but eventually you'll figure out what it is that makes your website necessary to its visitors. Also, don't forget that people often have a need to relieve stress by having fun. Your website may fulfill this need while selling them something else. This is probably why joke and game websites do so well. This brings us to next element of a great website. 7. Is fun: Highly technical websites cannot really be very fun in most cases, but average website can have some fun in it. Maybe there's a contest of some kind, or a joke of day. Whatever makes you laugh, will probably make your visitor laugh as well. Fun is essential in this stressful world. Find something that will make your website enjoyable to visit, and add it to your site today! After all, we're human and like a good laugh once in awhile. Crude jokes probably won't do too well, unless your target customer base is crude. However, fun makes your site more interesting. Next time, we'll talk about something that will make every business owner shiver, but it's necessary in strange world of Internet sale! I look forward to seeing you again!
Lynne Schlumpf is the CEO of Route 66 Cyber Cafe, Inc., http://www.r66cci.com, a Web hosting and design company specializing in promoting websites for new owners, building affordable e-commerce sites, and providing reliable web hosting solutions as an affiliate of Virtualis Incorporated.
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