Update regularly

Studies show that people spend more time at a site that changes regularly.

1. Make changes and provide new, original, and useful content often. 2. Update your web site at least once a month, even if changes are minimal. Make small changes, e.g. updates, new articles, a tip of week. 3. Keep all information current. 4. Indicate items you updated. 5. Mention that you are continuously adding new information. 6. Ask visitors to bookmark your site and come back for new information.

Content that attracts prospective buyers back to your site

1. Updated information (e.g. industry information). 2. Timely information (e.g. events schedule, class schedule, articles, tip of day/week). 3. Updated product (e.g. latest edition of your book, updated virus software). 4. New product (e.g. new software demo). 5. Quality freebies (e.g. free reports, tips, and electronic books; free pictures and graphics; free samples, book excerpts; free templates, software, sounds, and videos. 6. Go to this resource page to see more examples of freebies at http://www.FiveStarWebDesign.com/links.htm.

Provide valuable content and update your site regularly to gain your visitors' trust, keep them coming back, and turn them into repeat customers.

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6. Ask for feedback. Find out what potential buyers want. Use feedback forms and email surveys to conduct market research. Ask what products and information they're interested in. What benefits are most appealing. What price they would pay. Analyze feedback and adapt your site as needed.

7. Write compelling sales copy. Effective copy works just as well on Internet as it does in direct mail. Attract potential buyers with benefits. Start each web page with a compelling, benefit-oriented headline. Tests have proven that more you tell, more you sell. If people aren't interested in your products or services, they won't read past first paragraph. If they are interested, you can't tell them enough.

8. Motivate readers to do what you want them to do with action verbs. A call to action such as "call now," "order now," and "click here" can dramatically increase sales. Give precise instructions. Tell them exactly what to do. For example, tell them to subscribe to your ezine and give you their email addresses. For more examples of action verbs, see "Increase Sales, Subscriptions, and Traffic With Action Words" at http://www.profitablewebstrategies.com/action.htm.

9. Make purchasing easy. Take a good look at your ordering process. More information at http://www.profitablewebstrategies.com/ordering.htm.

10. Include your URL on each web page. This will make it easier for people to go back to your web site.

Take a look at your web site and see how many of these elements are missing. Implement these proven direct marketing strategies now to increase your online sales!

P.S. Read more in-depth articles at http://www.profitablewebstrategies.com

This article is an excerpt from Inside Secrets to Developing a Profitable Web Site. More info at http://www.profitablewebstrategies.com/ebook.htm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Web design built on proven marketing strategies!

FREE monthly ezine "Web Profit Strategies" provides powerful, non-techie Web design and marketing strategies to increase your online profits. Subscribe and get a FREE report, "10 Easy Ways to Boost Your Online Sales." Send email to: mailto: subscribepws@profitablewebstrategies.com

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