On-line Shopping with Search Engine Optimization
Ok now, so, apparently, the world has become extremely high-tech. Over the past few years, we no longer conduct our traditional shop-till-you-drop extravaganzas at the shop, but rather, we drop onto webpages. Strolling down aisles has turned into scrolling down pages, while browsing from counter to counter has been replaced by navigating through links. With these newly devised, unconventional methods to shop, it is no wonder websites are optimally designed to sell. Or are they ?
Do websites truly know the tricks of the trade of online marketing and selling? This is a question only consumers can answer through their purchases. If you can constantly hear that magical sound in the background that goes something like this: “cha-ching,” you definitely know your website has successfully replaced your leading sales personnel; it manages to capture your audiences’ attention, transmits the message loud and clear, motivates individuals to buy, and most importantly, generates an actual purchase. However, often times, the only sound website owners tend to hear is that of them grasping for air every time they realize their bank account keeps getting smaller and smaller. Tragic isn’t it? Ah, if only something could be done…
Hellooo, doesn’t anyone know that, to every problem there is a solution? Following are some very useful, highly effective tips and tricks that can convert your, hmm…how can I put this nicely, your no-good website into a people pleaser, mover and shaker, which in simple terms means they just colored your world green.In order to give you the lowdown on creating the best of the best, I will start off with the technological side of website designing and then move into the marketing side.
- To start off, do not implement Flash to create your website. Do you know how annoying it is to click on a search link that takes years to load or leaves me staring at a blank page? In and out is all I can say. As quickly as I clicked into your link, is as quickly as I clicked out.
- I understand making your website attractive is an utter must, but remember, too much can be blinding. Placing too many web graphics on your pages will blind your sales messages. I wonder why those rectangular, green slips of paper are no longer visible to you.
- Going along the lines of clutter, why on Earth have you included so many links to your offerings on one page? All you will manage to do is boggle your visitors’ minds. Too many choices are too confusing and entail too much effort, which in turn leads to: buh-bye buy.
- Make your website easy to navigate. Consumers are already overwhelmed by the vast amounts of sites available; when they click into yours, do not make it difficult for them to figure out what in the world is going on. They are too busy finding what they are looking for, they have nor the time, nor patience to try to comprehend how your webpage works. Once your visitor starts navigating through your site, it better be smooth sailing, otherwise, they will abandon ship.
Many resources are available to help you design a successful, effective website. Various tutorials and articles can be found online regarding website design and implementation. Specific sites, such as WebProNews, also exist that contain an array of articles with valuable information for website development. Webmaster forums can also boost your knowledge by exposing you to a variety of unique ideas that can be applied to your webpage. Search engine optimization (SEO), can help increase the amount of visitors your website receives. Through keyword research, link building and other effective tactics, SEO experts can help you achieve more bang for your buck.
Let us switch gears now, and consider the more creative components that help formulate an optimal website. Of course the layout of the site, the colors, graphics, fonts used, and various other factors should be chosen wisely, but these are not what I want to focus on. If you would like to figure out how to correctly apply these, I invite you to read about consumer behavior and the psychological effects these factors can entail. Now, however, the one and only feature I want to focus on is the web copy.
The web copy, or in other words, your sales message, is the single most important item that will produce a sale and make the cash start flowing. To make this piece effective, start by defining your target market and their needs. Fully understand who they are and what they are looking for. With this in mind, formulate your unique selling proposition (USP). These two or three sentences should be strong enough to capture your audiences’ attention. It should be the first thing individuals see when entering your homepage. Structure the text of your website in an organized, easy to understand manner. Keep sentences simple, do not use an advanced language, include headings, subheadings, color, boldface, italics, links, etc when appropriate. Most of the time, visitors scan through material. Make what they are looking for easily visible. Clearly communicate the benefits the consumer will receive by purchasing the product. Implement unique and creative writing, but do not include mumbo jumbo. Remember, consumers have no interest in wasting their time. They want things direct and straight to the point.