Stepping Into Your Client’s Shoes

Written by http://www.earthquakestudios.com


Have you ever sat down and really spent some time surfing through your own company website? Are there any broken links? Are you happy withrepparttar functionality andrepparttar 132171 graphical interface? Is it easy to navigate and findrepparttar 132172 services that you are looking for? Well, if you haven’t done this, we strongly suggest that you do. You could be losing tons of customers simply because your website is not up to par with today’s standards and does not properly deliverrepparttar 132173 valuable sales information that potential customers are looking for.

It may seem difficult at first, but try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and take a long look atrepparttar 132174 message that your website delivers torepparttar 132175 public. Pretend that you are a potential customer and it’s your first time ever visiting your company website. Let’s start by visitingrepparttar 132176 home page. Does it contain “sticky” content that is visually and mentally appealing? That is, does it have what it takes to keep today’s savvy consumer clicking through your site. Customers are getting more and more knowledgeable aboutrepparttar 132177 Web as time passes by, and their time is extremely valuable. They are accustomed to getting what they want and when they want it. If they aren’t impressed right fromrepparttar 132178 get-go, they will simply move on torepparttar 132179 next company, in search ofrepparttar 132180 product or service that your website could not provide. Your home page is a VERY important, if notrepparttar 132181 most important, part of your overall website. Takerepparttar 132182 time to figure out exactly what your customers are looking for and make it readily available on your home page, or at least have a prominent link torepparttar 132183 product or service in plain sight. Try to create headlines that grabrepparttar 132184 viewer’s attention and make them ask for more.

Your Website Hurts My Eyes: 7 Reasons to Tone Down Your Advertising

Written by Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com


So you're onrepparttar computer, as usual. Your eyes are smarting. Your back hurts. You want to jump inrepparttar 132170 car and sail downrepparttar 132171 highway with allrepparttar 132172 windows down and your hair flapping inrepparttar 132173 wind. But before you call it quits forrepparttar 132174 day, you have to look up just one more thing. Maybe it's web marketing, maybe you want to buy some artwork to hang in your office. Off to Google you go.

You type inrepparttar 132175 magic words, whatever they are, and watch as a list of websites flows downrepparttar 132176 page. You click onrepparttar 132177 first one, and it's an instant assault on your eyeballs. Ten glaring banners, flashing like Vegas at midnight. One of those annoying hover ads that follows you as you scroll and won't let you read anything until you clickrepparttar 132178 corner. Some sparkly things "snowing" downrepparttar 132179 page. Frantic messages screaming things like BUY NOW! LAST CHANCE! INSTANT SUCCESS CAN BE YOURS. A picture of a grinning guy who reminds you of your creepy Uncle Lester.

You click away. Not today, not any day. You don't care what that guy is selling or even if he's giving something away, because his presentation is god-awful. Just when you thought you'd escapedrepparttar 132180 mayhem, a sneaky little window pops up: "WHY DID YOU LEAVE THIS SITE? Please fill out this quick survey!" Are they kidding? You consider typing something offensive inrepparttar 132181 "Leave Your Comment" box, but figure it will only encourage someone to spam you with unwanted offers.

We're all familiar with this web-surfing experience. It's downright unpleasant. What's your opinion of someone who pitches their company in such a loud and desperate manner? Do you believe all of their pie-in-the-sky promises? Do they strike you as company run by people who are intelligent, honest and reliable? Are you going to whip out your credit card because they tell you to?

Of course you're not. Beingrepparttar 132182 loudest,repparttar 132183 brightest,repparttar 132184 busiest andrepparttar 132185 boldest may attract attention, but it does not bring sales. That's something to remember when you're creating your own company website. What DOES attract and keep new customers coming back? A simple, tasteful web design. An easily navigable site. Copy that's crisp, clean, and interesting.

Here are 7 reasons to tone down your advertising:

1. Flash is just too flashy. A flash presentation can be creative and unique, but is it really needed for what you offer? Will that kooky winking clown-head inrepparttar 132186 corner really makerepparttar 132187 sale for you? Even if you find a really excellent designer who can put together an incredible high-tech Flash feature, considerrepparttar 132188 harried web surfer. She's been clicking all day; do you really think she hasrepparttar 132189 patience to stand for one more mini-movie?

2. Too many messages cancel each other out. Ever try to read one of those pharmacy circulars when you're tired? All of those big red words emblazoned acrossrepparttar 132190 page. Headlines crammed in beside blown-out price points and cheap photography. It isn't easy! If you try to cram a whole bunch of words on your website, guess what? Not one of those messages is going to be read, let alone remembered. The eye doesn't know where to look! Try a visual whisper instead of a scream. Make your point as best you can, but take care to leave whitespace sorepparttar 132191 eyes have a resting place where they can digest what you've said.

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