Whether you have a 5 page or 50 page web site, follow these simple rules and you’ll be well on your way to web success:

Have a target audience.
You’ll want to plan your site differently if you’re targeting CEOs as opposed to teenagers.

Focus on the audience.
Don’t forget – It is your site, but it has to be all about what is in it for the viewer.

Be Relevant.
Fill your site with content that is interesting and relevant to your target audience.  Using keywords is important, but only if they are relevant.

Design simple navigation.
Draw it out on paper – if it confuses you, what do you think it will do to the viewer?

Create a design hierarchy.
Lead your viewer around your pages.  With a good hierarchy you can ensure your viewer reads the page in the exact order you want.

Make your text ‘scannable’.
Follow web site writing best practices to ensure your viewer reads all the important information.

Give ‘Social Proof’.
People believe testimonials and verified case studies more easily than promotional info direct from you.

Capture leads.
You’ve put in a lot of work into getting people to your site – get maximum return by capturing their details in a database so you can continue to market to them

Make it easy to contact you.
If you have a preferred contact method, make it prominent. If you use a contact form, let the user know how long it will take before you reply.

Check for page errors.
Check that every page displays properly, check every link works, check that every photo displays.

Proof read.
No matter how great the content, if it’s full of spelling errors, your reader may think it is full of factual errors as well.

Posted in Blog, Web Design
Tags: Audience, Content, Copy Writing, Graphic Design, Keywords, Navigation, Target Market