12 Quick Tips For Beginning Webmasters

Starting off on the right foot with any new business is not
just important, it's imperative. This is especially true on
the Internet, where first impressions are made in a matter
of seconds, and can make or break the potential for success.

A sales focused website functions simply as a retail
cyber-store. With that in mind, it's just as important that
visitors be welcomed and feel comfortable while browsing a
website, as they would be made to feel in a shop on Main
Street.

Here are a few quick tips that will help to gain your
cyber-visitor's interest, and keep her browsing for awhile.

1. Capture the visitors attention immediately with a bold
headline or a thought provoking question. You have about 10
seconds to convince a first time visitor that it might be
worth her time to browse your site further.

2. Keep slow loading graphics, animations, and flash
presentations to a minimum. Most visitors will not wait
long before clicking off to another site.

3. Avoid loud or overbearing color schemes. What may look
great on your living room walls might be difficult to view
and read on-screen. Background colors should be pale or
white, with dark or black font for maximum readability.

4. Compose your primary message to focus on the visitor's
interests, needs and desires, and how you and your site can
fulfill those. Few people will be interested in your
accomplishments or how great you think your business is.
Save that for the 'about us' page.

5. Inject a conversational style into the message that your
website conveys, avoiding dry corporate syntax or technical
jargon. A site that portrays a personality and casual
human element will be much more attractive to repeat
visitors.

6. Proofread carefully for spelling, punctuation, and
grammar. This is imperative to presenting a professional
image of you and your business. It is recommended that the
proofreading be done by someone other than yourself, and
who has not previously read the script.

You may wish to contact the English department at a nearby
high school or college, and arrange to have an upper level
student perform this task for you. It's that important!

7. Keep your page design clean and free of clutter. A site
that visually assaults the visitor will be clicked off
quickly. White space and clearly defined sections will make
for easier navigation.

8. For a large site, break the content into sections and
create seperate pages accordingly. Many Internet users do
not like to scroll down indeterminately on overly long
pages. Manage your page length to three screens maximum.

9. Test your pages with multiple browsers to be sure they
work as they should. What works in one browser may not work
with another. The two most commonly used browsers as of
this writing are MS Internet Explorer and Netscape
Navigator.

10. Invest wisely in registering your own domain name and
acquiring professional quality webhosting. To rely, even at
first, on sub-domains or free hosting services will
seriously harm your business credibility. In addition,
avoid using any free email account as a business contact.

11. Provide a incentive and a method for visitors to join
your mailing list, and display it prominently on each page.
This is not an option. It's a necessity to your ongoing
success.

12. Openly display your full name, your physical address,
and at least two contact methods (ie. email and telephone)
on your site. This will cultivate visitor trust, and add to
your credibility as an honest and above-board business
owner.

About the Author

Dan B. Cauthron offers original marketing insights and a
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