There are so many sites today that offer various items. Providing quality content is good, but if you want visitors to your site to stick around, bookmark it and potentially revisit in the future, There are a few items to keep in mind.
1) Quick Load Time
Have you ever visited a site which seemed to take forever to load in your browser? Just
how often do you stick around to see what is on the site? This is most likely how visitors to your site feel. Unless you are the only one offering something (which is most likely not the case), you will want to optimize your site so that visitors are not waiting
forever. Imagine the page the visitor first sees is the cover of a book. This is what the
visitor will use to decide whether or not to continue on with your site.
Also, keep in mind that while high-speed internet might be coming more available, not
everyone has a screaming fast connection. Optimize both the underlying code as well as any graphics or other items. If your site takes too long, visitors will generally go elsewhere.
2) Readability
Most books are printed using a dark color for the text on a light color background. The
same is true for Web sites. Some might find it difficult to read blue text on a red
background for instance. Keep this in mind as you design the main text area.
3) Useability
The last thing you want is for a visitor to arrive at your site and have no idea as to
where things are located. Offering a centrally located navigation throughout the site,
directing visitors to at least the main areas is essential. Imagine for a minute you open
a book and the table of contents is missing. Your visitors might feel lost and leave your
site, never to return. Also, make sure to provide a link back to your main page on every
page. A sitemap is also a good idea to place where your visitors can access. Make sure it is kept up-to-date and provide a good overview of what your site has to offer. Keep in
mind, a sitemap is NOT a substitute for sitewide navigation.
4) Credibility
Unless your site is Amazon, Barnes and Nobles or some other “household name”, visitors probably don’t know you. Build some confidence in your site by having an “About Us” page, contact information, privacy/usage policy (especially if handling credit cards), frequently asked questions, and custom testimonials.
5) Minimize Banners
While banner advertisements are utilized to create a stream of income, work to keep these at a minimum. Banners can become a distraction to visitors, and they might click on them, leaving your site. If banners are placed on your site, take some time to integrate them into the site design.
6) Purchasing
Offering goods or services is good, but only if visitors can figure out how to do so. Make sure it is crystal clear to visitors how to purchase.
7) Customer Database
A customer database can offer some valuable information, including what the customer has purchased in the past. There are many ways to collect this information (such as surveys, questionnaires, quizzes, order form, and newsletters). Make sure to get the customers permission prior to contacting them in the future. Also, provide an easy method to remove themselves from being contacted in the future.
