If you want to attract high quality clients and customers, and convey that you’re a legitimate, credible, and sought-after business, these five points are a great launching pad to give your site that “big company” look and feel.

<< 1. Start with a high-quality LOGO. >>

The one your kid created for you doesn’t count! I’m talking about paying a designer to do one for you, and it doesn’t have to cost in thousands. If you don’t have much of a budget, consider following options:

For my E-zine Queen site, I used an online logo service called “1800MyLogo” (http://www.1800mylogo.com). At time they charged only $199 to design a professional logo based on my business, style, and personal preferences. The whole process only took about two weeks and was conducted entirely over Web. (To see final result, take a quick peek at http://www.ezine-queen.com)

I’ve also heard good things about http://www.gotlogos.com, where you can get a quick Web site logo for only $25!

<< 2. Get your own business DOMAIN NAME. >>

It’s just a fact that folks will feel safer shopping at a site with its own domain name.

For example, if you were shopping online for a circular saw, would you be more likely to purchase from a hardware site called “www.bobshardware.com” or one whose URL is “www.geocities.com/3339/bobshardware?” (This is a fictional example, by way.)

Having your own domain name implies you’re a “real” company, and not Uncle Bob working in his kitchen at night (even though you my very well be ; )).

There are several “bargain basement” places to buy domain names, but two most popular and credible are still: http://www.register.com http://www.networksolutions.com

<< 3. Get (and USE) a business E-MAIL ADDRESS. >>

Nothing screams “amateur” like sending out professional e-mail from a handle like “fuzzybear4u@hotmail.com.” Once you get a domain name for your Web site, have your hosting company set up a professional e-mail *alias* for you.

Once your Web site is up, you must maintain it. Maintenance means changes, and each time you make a change, you may make a mistake. I'm really grateful when people point out my Web glitches, and I can be more proactive by checking my site each week.

If your visitors get a link that doesn't work, see incomplete instructions, or read your dull instead of passionate copy, they will leave your site immediately, and not bookmark it.

Before you invite folks to see your masterpiece you need to check and correct all parts of your site, and especially home page.

TEST YOUR HEADLINES. You have four seconds to get your visitor's attention. Test your title or opening sentence of copy. This one item alone can make a huge difference in responses you receive.

Instead of wasted words "welcome," put a benefit with a link to either a benefit story or sales letter about your product or product itself.

When I placed "Quadruple your Web Sales in Just Four Months" with a "click here" to my sales copy following it, my Web sales increased ten times from my original home page, and this in only four months time.

People learned about my eBooks and Teleclasses on Write Your eBook or Other Short Book--Fast!, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, and Quadruple Online Sales in Four Months with Free Articles. In 2002, after being Online eight months, Web sales are consistently over $3000 each month.

If your headline doesn't say benefits, game is over.

TEST YOUR OFFERS. People perceive more value when you add an incentive to buy. Give them a bonus FREE report or a tips list with order. It takes little time and effort to create, but it increases sales thirty-fold.

Each month, I motivate my visitors with "Discounts of Month" available as a navigation bar on home page. In each discount I include testimonials and benefits, And perhaps a bundling of several books or teleclasses For a deep discount--often half price.

1. Testimonials. They lend credibility to you. When people see that other well-known leaders like your products or services, they are more likely to buy. It's relatively easy to get these too.

Here's a few that worked:

- "Save yourself from headaches, disappointments, and money down drain. Read Write Your eBook or Other Short Book- Fast! before you write another word. The author puts you on fastest track to publishing success."

- "Wow! My sales letter worked! Thank you, thank you, thank you for presenting your 3-session teleclass "Create Your Homepage With Marketing Pizzazz." You helped me focus on who my target market really is--a major accomplishment. Knowing difference between benefits and features helped me produce a sales letter that got me a sale next day I put it up on my site."

- "In just one coaching session I learned how to strengthen my article's language, got a perfect acronym for my coaching business, learned difference between benefits and features, got a new bio/benefits statement to use for networking, and most of all "bigger picture" to see a series of products and services to sell--definitely worth her fees."

2. Benefit statements. Test your copy by emailing several groups in your address book with several choices. Call it a Survey. Ask them, which benefits makes their heart skip a beat? Enough to take out their credit card and buy. Emphasize different benefits. Try out different headlines, phrases, power words or metaphors. Appeal to different senses like smell, touch, emotions or visual. Remember most people are visual and kinesthetic.

Here are a few ideas: