It is important, however, for you to be aware of the dos and don'ts when
planning a website.
Mistake No. 1: Poor Website Layout and Design
Your website needs to be easy to navigate and visually appealing. Choose
two or three colors and stick with them. Don't change your color scheme
on every page. Ensure your navigation bar is either at the top or the
left-hand side of the screen – most people are used to that. Also
consider including a navigation bar at the bottom, especially if your
pages are long.
Mistake No. 2: Not Enough Information
Too often I hear people say, "I just want a website with a little bit of
information so that it is not too busy." This is a big mistake. When
people are looking on the Internet, they want the information right
there and then. They don't want to have to wait until they can e-mail
you or speak to you on the phone to get more details. Remember, your
visitors may be looking at your website out of business hours and if
they don't find the details they are looking for, they will go elsewhere.
Mistake No. 3: No Credibility
Many website owners fail to prove their credibility. Remember, you are
competing with thousands, if not millions of other websites and, if you
don't prove you have credibility; your visitors will never convert into
paying customers. Adding testimonials from happy customers, before and
after photos, articles that have been printed or published, details of
awards you have won and industry associations you belong to all help to
show your customers you are trustworthy and reliable.
Mistake No. 4: Ignoring What the Search Engines Need
Don't forget to include relevant keywords and key phrases so search
engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing can easily index the information.
Add your keywords to the title of your pages, in the headings, within
the content and also in your images' alt tags and meta tag description.
If you are unsure what meta tags are, check with your website designer.
Mistake No. 5: Forgetting To Include Call to Action
Make sure you tell your customers what you want them to do on your site.
If you want them to download a report, tell them where, and how. If you
want them to phone you, ensure you provide your phone number.
For those planning to have an e-commerce website and sell products /
services online, see tip No. 6.
Mistake No. 6: Dodgy Payment Gateway
People often get nervous when it comes to leaving their credit card
details online, so ensure you use a reputable service, such as PayPal,
for processing payments. Include details of your service provider on
your website.
Mistake No. 7: Forgetting to Include Privacy and Returns Policy
Let people know you will not sell or rent their personal details and
clearly outline your returns policy.
Mistake No. 8: Not Including Money Back Guarantee
Take the risk out of doing business with you by providing a money back
guarantee. The longer the guarantee, the better.
Mistake No. 9: Assuming People Will Buy From You On First Visit
Ninety-eight percent of visitors won't buy from you on the first visit,
so it is important you find a way to keep in touch with them. This can
be via an electronic newsletter, in which case you will need to collect
their details. You can also ask them to subscribe to your blog, 'like'
your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter or another social network.
Remember, having a professional website is not just about the perfect
layout, it is also about the content that you include on the site. The
less mistakes you make when planning your website, the less time and
money you will waste having to fix them later on. Take your time putting
your website together and don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't
understand something.
my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that
can
be done today."
If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Regards Gerald
Website: http://www.webcraft.ws
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws
Twitter: WebcraftGuru
Facebook: Webcraft Guru
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