How to Use 10 Essential Elements To Make Your Business' Website More Effective

Here is a list of 10 essential elements to the most successful business websites on the internet. Make use of these, and watch your sales soar.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• To take immediate action on the items in this article and make sure your site conforms.

1. Essential Element 1: A compelling headline. Without this, up to 80% of your site's visitors will leave with out reading a single word on your site. Ensure yours goes beyond the boring "Welcome to..." style. List your main benefit that you offer your visitor.
2. Essential Element 2: User friendly navigation. Where am I as a visitor to your site? How do I get the information I need about your business? Make sure your navigation is clean, and concise.
3. Essential Element 3: Effective sales copy. The copy on your main page, and related pages, needs to be top notch, or your visitor will leave. Engage the visitor with interesting information, establish credibility with testimonials from your customers and other proof, etc...
4. Essential Element 4: A clear "call to action". You need to take your site visitor "by the hand" and guide them through your site to your desired action. Do NOT sell right on the home page first thing though.
5. Essential Element 5: Well chosen images. High quality, easy to load images (no fancy flash graphics) can enhance the feel of your site. If you have a lot of product for sale on your site, use thumbnail images that link to bigger ones.
6. Essential Element 6: A strong opt in offer. The main objective above all else for your site's main landing page is to build your email marketing list. Period. Give them an informational report, a free cd mailed directly to their home, a free intro membership, etc...your offer must be compelling.
7. Essential Element 7: Testimonials. Proof is important. Establishing credibility is very important. Testimonials from your customers are a great way to enhance credibility to your visitors. Make sure to include full name, city, state and website if available for all testimonials.
8. Essential Element 8: An About Us page. Here is your opportunity to engage your visitor "face to face." Pictures of yourself and your staff are welcome additions to your "About Us" page.
9. Essential Element 9: A FAQ (frequently asked questions) page. List the questions commonly asked by your customers, and the answer here.
10. Essential Element 10: Any and all contact information right on your home page or Contact Us page, and more places if you wish. Don't hide from your site visitors. You will gain credibility if you can be easily contacted.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a short intro video on your About Us Page.
• Have a professional copywriter write the copy for your entire site. You invest once, but it will pay you back many times over.
• Do not leave out one thing from this check list on your own site. These are the basics...period.