Losing website sales and traffic is sometimes simply a case of web usablity - your website just isn't clear to your visitors. By fixing these simple mistakes, you'll easily increase your conversion rate and make more online sales.
Mistake #1: No Clear Web Navigation System
Is there a clear navigation system of links both at the top and bottom of each of your web pages?
Does your visitor scroll down to the bottom of a web page only to find one or (even worse) NO links there? Do they have to scroll all the way up to the top of the web page to continue browsing your website?
Guess what - your customer is out of there. So many websites make this mistake and needlessly lose traffic.
Another mistake websites make is putting the navigation system in an out-of-the-way place that makes it difficult for the user to find. Maybe it blends in with the background. Maybe the font is so small, visitors easily miss it.
Don't assume your visitors are web savvy or automatically know where to look to navigate your website. Make it easy for them by having a clear, easy to find navigation system. They'll stay on your website longer, which increases the chance that you'll make the sale.
Mistake #2: Ignoring the WIIFM Principle (What's In It For Me?)
Does the home page state clearly and concisely what your website can do for your visitor?
Forget about telling your visitor how wonderful you are, how much experience your company has, how many years you've been around or how many awards you've won.
They don't care. They want to know what you can do for them - and they want to know it now. In the fast-paced, hectic world that is the Internet, you have about 3-5 seconds to convince your visitor that your website is worth their time. That's it (and that's being generous).
Your website should have one clear statement - in an easy-to-find place - about exactly what you can do for your customer. It should state the major benefit of doing business with you or the major benefit of your product. Your web visitors shouldn't have any questions about your site's purpose after reading that statement.
For example, instead of, 'Welcome to our web site about affiliate programs', how about 'Complete reviews of over 500 different affiliate programs. Find out who has the highest payouts and the best selling products for your website.'
Mistake #3: Overloading Your Visitor's Senses
Have you ever gotten eye strain from the first 10 seconds of reading a website? You know the ones I'm talking about - bright red font on a bright yellow background. Or dark purple font on a midnight black background.
What was the webmaster thinking (or smoking)? Quick fact: If your visitor has to work to read your website, they're already gone.
While your website may not be this bad, take a second look: Is there an overload of bold font? Is the web font so small you have to squint to read it? Are there tons of blinking images all competing furiously to capture your readers' attention?
Make sure your website isn't turning visitors away because it strains their eyes or overloads their senses.
When all else fails remember that the old standby is best: black font on a white background is the easiest for everyone to read.
Mistake #4: 'Am I Still On The Same Website?' - Having an Inconsistent Layout
If you want visitors to remember your website, nothing says 'professionalism' more than a consistent layout throughout your website. Keep your navigation bar in the same place on all pages. Keep the colors consistent and the logo in the same spot if you have one.
There's nothing more confusing than clicking on a link and feeling like you've entered a completely different website. Trust is a big factor when it comes to making sales online. To keep that trust, give your visitor a feeling of always knowing where they are and which website they're visiting!
So there you have it - 4 simple website mistakes that cost you traffic and sales. These mistakes may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many webmasters make them. Steer clear of them and you'll automatically put more money in your pocket at the end of the day.
Kate Fox is a contributing writer to web conversion: how to sell more with your website
For more free tips and articles on how to improve your web conversion rate and make more sales, visit: web conversion: how to sell more with your website
insured cleaning company Deerfield ..How can we add Word Rich Content to our Websites... Read More
SummaryHere's the scoop on what you must know when designing... Read More
Web templates by nature are created to aid and ease... Read More
The Internet is a remarkable publishing medium. With just a... Read More
How many Web Sites did you stumble over telling you... Read More
Although there are significant differences among the various types of... Read More
Right after the thought, "I need a website," people usually... Read More
A website lets you put your products in front of... Read More
A simple website stats counter is not enough if you... Read More
With more and more countries around the world passing laws... Read More
You hear a great deal about the Internet these days... Read More
Before you set up any scripts you will need some... Read More
Some left shoes are in isle 5, while the right... Read More
When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store,... Read More
"Don't Sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."Have you heard of... Read More
If your company own one or more stores, you might... Read More
Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More
So you've decided to start an online work at home... Read More
Yahoo has long offered email, an online calendar, notes, bookmarks,... Read More
The needs of screen magnifier users are overlooked when implementing... Read More
Just starting out, you can start with a simple informational... Read More
They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a... Read More
A system development process can follow a number of standard... Read More
From early days of www, the Internet sites that are... Read More
After having decided to start a business, the next thing... Read More
top rated cleaning service Bannockburn ..It may come as some surprise to a traditionally off-line... Read More
Just starting out, you can start with a simple informational... Read More
Appealing to others is really important when you have a... Read More
Although CSS layouts have been around for years, they haven't... Read More
Why do some web sites reap huge benefits while others... Read More
The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends... Read More
If one more business owner tells me their website sucks... Read More
There are hundreds of millions of Web surfers today. Each... Read More
Even though the Internet has been around for a long... Read More
Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and... Read More
So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading... Read More
A website is lifeline of internet home business. In order... Read More
Simply ensuring your website is accessible to screen reader users... Read More
Every good Internet business understands the value of conversions versus... Read More
If you have your own business website and you are... Read More
Launching a new small business website is often a long... Read More
Before you jump into spending coutnless hours on designing and... Read More
Making maximum profit from your law firm website is important,... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes that most online retailers make... Read More
If you have some experience in web site design and... Read More
Many executives and investors are skeptical that software products can... Read More
In the big, wide online world there are millions of... Read More
Succeeding with an eCommerce website is a dream for many... Read More
When most people build a web site, they think one... Read More
1. Upload robots.txt file in to your root directory and... Read More
Web Development |