| After
you've completed a website, don't look at it. Leave it for a couple
of weeks, then come back, pretend you are a potential customer and
ask yourself these 10 questions.
Does your text sound
hype-filled and salesy? People hate to feel like they are being
sold. Sure, they want to buy. But they don't want to buy from someone
who sounds like a used car salesman. They need to trust a website,
and they will trust a website that gives them concise, honest, and
unbiased information. There is never any reason for a double exclamation
mark!! AND RARELY IS THERE A RIGHT TIME FOR ALL CAPS. You're excited
about your products (or at least you should be), so let your natural
enthusiasm show. Don't try to dress it up with overused sales jargon.
Count the number of
times you said "we" in your text rather than "you."
Did you use the word "we" more than you used the word
"you"? People don't care about we. A common mistake of
first-time website content creators is that they tend to want to
talk about themselves. We offer __________. We are the only company
that __________. We have unparalleled ________. Sound familiar?
But what people really want to know what's in it for them. Start
a few sentences with "you" and you'll be surprised how
much more likely people will be to buy.
If I had never been to this site before, would I know where to click
to buy? The action your potential customer should take should be
clear from the homepage. Never, ever let your customer get lost
looking for the "buy now" button.
If I was visiting this
site for the first time, would I know what it was selling and would
I be able to find what I need? A visitor should know what you're
selling and how they can benefit from it by the second line, preferably
by the first. Don't babble. Get to the point. Once a visitor knows
what you're selling, he should be able to find the answer to any
additional questions within just a few clicks. And remember, just
because he can get to the information in a few clicks doesn't mean
he will be able to find the information in just a few clicks. Make
sure your navigation is straightforward and consistent throughout
the site.
If I read my navigation
for the first time, would it be clear what information is behind
each link? Your navigation should be conventional and easy to understand.
Don't label your products page "goodies" or "wares"
unless you have a darn good reason.
Are my prices displayed? Do NOT expect the customer to call you
for prices. Always always always always display prices. Always.
If it has to be custom quoted, display example quotes, display hourly
rates, display ranges of rates for example jobs, but display something.
Does it look like the
website creator paid attention to detail? Check your details. Check
each link. Run the spell check. Check your website on different
screen resolutions. Check your website in different browsers. Make
sure the text font, color and size is consistent on all web pages.
Pay attention to little things, like text wrapping around graphics
in a less-than-conventional manner, or too much space at the bottom
of a page, or your text running farther down the page than your
navigation bar. Little things can spell the difference between a
clean, professional looking website and a sloppy looking one. If
you aren't being a perfectionist about your website, then people
will assume that you won't be a perfectionist in your business,
either.
Can I glance at the
headers, scan the page and get the gist? Research had shown time
and time again that readers on the web do not read. They scan. They
scan headers and first lines of paragraphs. Only if they see something
that catches their interest, will they read deeper. Do not expect
every line of your text to be read, but write every line as if it
will be read.
Did I build my website
with my user (and not myself or my company) in mind? If you did,
then your user will probably never realize it. And that's a good
thing. The website should feel smooth to him, natural. He should
navigate through the site almost as if it were second nature, like
a favorite pair of blue jeans.
Is the order process
simple, straightforward and fast? Once the client has decided to
buy, the process should take no longer than a couple of minutes.
Don't ask him for any information that you do not directly need
to complete his order. Keep it short, sweet and super simple.
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