Does YOUR Business Need A Web Site That Actually Generates $Money$?

Doesn't this make sense?

It's not about flashy graphics, rich media, or other glamorous Internet Technology. It's a simple communication problem, at the root of failure for most web sites. The web is laden with surfers who are actively seeking INFORMATION and HELP - yet most web sites can't be found and don't provide either.

Let's examine these 3 points in more detail:

1. Surfers Want Information And Help!

The typical web site is loaded with information - the WRONG information. It's all about the owner and their products and services - it's all "ME" and no "YOU". To most web surfers this regurgitated advertising information is just boring "fluff", and there is no way they'll waste their valuable time reading it. They've got work to do online, they're looking for hard facts, useful information, and solutions to their important problems.

Is Your web site just another sales brochure - all about your company and it's products or services? If it is, then you need to make some serious changes - or keep wasting your time and money.

Every visitor to your site demands to understand exactly 'what's in it for them' - right up front. And if they can't quickly and easily find the useful credible information that they need, they'll simply leave, instantly - with the click of a button. They have learned to make fast decisions this way in order to avoid getting bogged down on all those web sites that just don't fit their needs.

2. YOU Must Be FOUND

The vast majority of web sites can't be found! Over 85% of Internet users use keyphrase searching in the MAJOR search engines to find the information that they need. Your site needs to be found easily - on the RIGHT keyphrases and in the RIGHT places - if it's going to receive any volume of targeted traffic.

For example let's simulate a search for a Realtor in Western New York by using the keyphrase 'wny realtor'. At the time of writing the first search engine results page (SERP) in Google gives 'Results 1-10 of 3,650', and the first SERP in Yahoo gives 'Results 1-20 of 1,740'. This places Google's top 10 sites in the top 0.3%, and Yahoo's top 10 sites in the top 0.6% of all sites indexed by them.

For a more competitive search like 'digital camera' Google recognizes 7,460,000 sites (putting the top 10 sites in the top 0.00013%) and Yahoo recognizes 25,600,000 sites (0.00004%). These top sites in the MAJOR search engines take the major share of the traffic on the web.

Being easily found by your specific target market is the first hurdle that you must overcome to effectively CONVERT enough site visitors into Your bottom line. But just getting these targeted visitors is not enough. You also need to make them comfortable, and sell to them in a way that they find acceptable.

3. Build Credibility And Educate

The 'design look and feel' of your site is a critical factor in determining your credibility to your visitors' eyes. So you must have a competent graphic design. However, this doesn't mean that your site has to be a gallery full of glamorous images. It means that your site should be a pleasing and comfortable place for your visitors to spend time at. You don't have to excite them with your 'design look and feel' - just don't turn them off!

You run the risk of turning off some sectors of your target market if you use strong colors or strange design elements that offend their tastes or do not fit their cultural expectations. Keep it clean, relatively neutral, and make sure every image loads quickly and has a purpose.

Never force slow-loading flash or media files onto anyone. However, these technologies can be put to effective use when the visitor knows what to expect, agrees to invest time with them, and voluntarily requests to download them.

Your 'Information Module' is the reason that people visit your site. It should be the main focus around which everything else fits. You should strategically place calls to action within this section, compelling your visitors to contact you or take some other action that you desire. On an e-commerce site you should also build links within the 'Information Module' directly to your 'Online Store' to allow visitors to easily buy from you.

Your 'Credibility Module' should include a customer oriented 'About Us' section and a strong set of 'Testimonials' distributed throughout your informational site content. You must give your visitors what they came for - cutting edge useful information - and simultaneously educate them about why they need You, and Your services or products. This has to be done from the sidelines using:

So How Does YOUR Site Measure Up?

If your site can't be found in the RIGHT places then you are lost before you start. And if you only focus on talking about YOU, no one will stay long enough to give you any consideration. If your visitors do stay, but you don't sell to them effectively then you'll make very little money from your web site.

Does Your site fit into this INEFFECTIVE category? Well over 90% of web sites do. If you have a web referrer log, inspect it and you'll see the message loud and clear. Did you get enough visitors? How did they find you? Did your visitors stay long enough to read your page content? Did they follow your planned selling sequence onto other pages? How many actually contacted you about anything, or took any sort of action that you wanted?

While you read this, YOUR web site is costing YOU time and money. In fact, most companies spend anywhere in the range US$2,000 - US$100,000 annually on web sites that simply cannot generate any return. This is not just an affliction of e-Commerce web sites. All e-Business web sites should have solid business objectives that leverage their brand to increase profitability. Does Yours?

Aren't YOU in business to make money? Even schools, and not-for-profit organizations can use EFFECTIVE web sites to make money. So Why Don't YOU?

Do YOU Want An EFFECTIVE Web Site?

If you are in business to make money then there is no doubt that you need one. But do you want one?
You can have one!.....

So How Can YOU Create An EFFECTIVE Web Site?

If Your web site doesn't achieve the following important business objectives then you must question - why?