# 10 The images used on your site include a revolving globe, bevelled horizontal line separators, and one of those animated mail box icons that were popular in free image libraries around 1995. If this is you, listen up. If your site looks dated and unprofessional you will not make any sales. The key to generating sales on line is with a professionally designed web site. People form an impression of your business, and whether or not they will do business with you, within 30 seconds. Cheesy graphics used in an amateurish web site will do nothing for gaining trust of prospective customers.

# 9 Your hit counter is of free variety and after one year reads "You are 38th visitor to this site." A site that publicized for all to see that no one has visited is doomed for sure. Remove counter, and see point number six below for help with this one.

# 8 Your site starts with words "Welcome to our site. Please bookmark our site. Click on links to find what you are looking for"

If your site starts off like this you need a lesson in marketing and copywriting. When you read a magazine or newspaper, notice how headlines and powerful copy are used to get your attention and motivate you to do something. Your web site should use same strategies to get people's attention. This starts with an easy-to-read layout, and wording that is interesting, motivating, and most importantly is about reader, and not about you.

# 7 There is no easy to find contact information anywhere on your home page. Contact information on main page of your site is convenient for your readers and makes you look credible, and accessible. To make a sale, you've got to earn people's trusts, this starts with giving them lots of ways to contact you. If they have a problem with an order they place, they want to make sure you will be there if they need you.

Draw your specific audience's attention with compelling headings that include benefits that will solve their problems.

1. Define your preferred audience. Picture them as you create your home page. Create an audience profile including their special needs and concerns. Make sure your Web site solves their problem, and it has a lot of information that will help your visitors.

2. Make your home page simple and easy to read so it will load fast and not make potential customers wait. Include benefits and a few testimonials. Forget large photos or spinning and flashing signs that distract. Put navigation bars (topics of other pages) on side or top to lead your visitors to different pages. You may name them: seminars, teleclasses, free articles, archived past eMagazines, products page, testimonials, and how to order page.

3. Send an email survey to your potential buyers to skyrocket your Web sales. Ask them, which titles and benefits would make you want to buy? From their feedback, make every word count on every Web page. Dramatic headlines with specific benefits lure visitors to read, then buy.

One author changed his copy from "Money-Saving tips on Car Buying, Leasing, Repairs and Insurance Reduction Tips" to "How to Buy a Car at $50 Over Dealer Cost." He discovered why his surveyed customers bought it. More of them wanted to buy a new car far more than other benefits he offered. When he changed title, sales increased by over 300% in 48 hours.