Tips for Making Your Website User Friendly

Tips for Making Your Website User Friendly

It is a no-contest issue that only a properly designed web site is the key to attract visitors and to make them keep coming back. Don’t forget that your company’s website is often the first point of contact and therefore it holds the key to creating the first (and most often the most important) impression of you as a company, and by extension of your products and services for many of your visitors/potential customers.

First time visitors can’t judge your way of conducting business, they do judge you by your site standards. The average Internet cruiser is quite weary these days – we are living in the “attention economy” as the say. So how do you catch his/her attention? By having a qualitatively designed site! This can be achieved by employing a professional web development company.

Also you must not forget that traffic retention is equally, if not more, important than driving high traffic to your site. After all, there is absolutely no use of spending all your time and money on building a 100-page site and spending big bucks in advertising through some strategic internet marketing Services Company if visitors don’t like to stay on. Here are some simple tips for turning your site into a user-friendly one that brings in and retain new visitors/potential customers.

•It should load fast:

Your website should be fast loading .You can achieve it by using more text and fewer graphics.

•It should have easy navigation:

Website must be easy to navigate so that people should easily and quickly find what they’re looking for without scrolling down each page. It’s important to link pages in a consistent, well thought out manner so that users can easily navigate in-between them.

•Use graphics sparingly:

Graphics does add glitter to your site but they should be used judiciously – using them where they are absolutely required. Otherwise they might distract visitors from important concepts of your site or take much time in downloading.

•Use colors selectively:

Use suitable colors which magnify your product otherwise your copy will be difficult to read and few people will bother reading it.

•Don’t let pop-ups irritate visitor:

Do use pop-ups as they can be an effective way to get a higher response from visitors, but you shouldn’t overuse and abuse them. Pop-ups should be used to offer something of high value to your site visitors.

•Fulfill visitor’s expectations:

Put yourself in visitor’s shoes and think what you want this site to deliver and try to fulfill this expectation. Ensure that your navigation and related content use keywords which are most searched, as popularity of a particular keyword related to your business reflects what a visitor wants.

•Minimize number of clicks:

Most visitors would leave your site if they have to click too much to get what they want. Remember a normal Internet surfer is jaded and doesn’t like to waste time. So put the content on scrollable pages with quick navigation links so that people can jump to any section while being on the same page.

•Fast downloading:

The above mentioned argument is equally true for this point – people don’t wait while surfing on Internet. So avoid flash intros or bandwidth-hungry graphics as much as possible. Try making your site as lean and nimble as possible to ensure fast downloads.

Your site’s credibility is also one of the factors which decide its usability which can be achieved by having an ‘About Us’ and a ‘Contact Us’ page. Many people would like to call while visiting your site so assure people you’re a proper business by giving them options to contact you through phone, email, and related directions.

If you can develop your website on your own, good! Better idea is to contact a Professional Web Development Company which is also well versed in Strategic Internet Marketing and let it develop your website and market it professionally for best results.

It is a no-contest issue that only a properly designed web site is the key to attract visitors and to make them keep coming back. Don’t forget that your company’s website is often the first point of contact and therefore it holds the key to creating the first (and most often the most important) impression of you as a company, and by extension of your products and services for many of your visitors/potential customers.

First time visitors can’t judge your way of conducting business, they do judge you by your site standards. The average Internet cruiser is quite weary these days – we are living in the “attention economy” as the say. So how do you catch his/her attention? By having a qualitatively designed site! This can be achieved by employing a professional web development company.

Also you must not forget that traffic retention is equally, if not more, important than driving high traffic to your site. After all, there is absolutely no use of spending all your time and money on building a 100-page site and spending big bucks in advertising through some strategic internet marketing Services Company if visitors don’t like to stay on. Here are some simple tips for turning your site into a user-friendly one that brings in and retain new visitors/potential customers.

•It should load fast:

Your website should be fast loading .You can achieve it by using more text and fewer graphics.

•It should have easy navigation:

Website must be easy to navigate so that people should easily and quickly find what they’re looking for without scrolling down each page. It’s important to link pages in a consistent, well thought out manner so that users can easily navigate in-between them.

•Use graphics sparingly:

Graphics does add glitter to your site but they should be used judiciously – using them where they are absolutely required. Otherwise they might distract visitors from important concepts of your site or take much time in downloading.

•Use colors selectively:

Use suitable colors which magnify your product otherwise your copy will be difficult to read and few people will bother reading it.

•Don’t let pop-ups irritate visitor:

 Do use pop-ups as they can be an effective way to get a higher response from visitors, but you shouldn’t overuse and abuse them. Pop-ups should be used to offer something of high value to your site visitors.

•Fulfill visitor’s expectations:

Put yourself in visitor’s shoes and think what you want this site to deliver and try to fulfill this expectation. Ensure that your navigation and related content use keywords which are most searched, as popularity of a particular keyword related to your business reflects what a visitor wants.

•Minimize number of clicks:

Most visitors would leave your site if they have to click too much to get what they want. Remember a normal Internet surfer is jaded and doesn’t like to waste time. So put the content on scrollable pages with quick navigation links so that people can jump to any section while being on the same page.

•Fast downloading:

 The above mentioned argument is equally true for this point – people don’t wait while surfing on Internet. So avoid flash intros or bandwidth-hungry graphics as much as possible. Try making your site as lean and nimble as possible to ensure fast downloads.

Your site’s credibility is also one of the factors which decide its usability which can be achieved by having an ‘About Us’ and a ‘Contact Us’ page. Many people would like to call while visiting your site so assure people you’re a proper business by giving them options to contact you through phone, email, and related directions.

If you can develop your website on your own, good! Better idea is to contact a Professional Web Development Company which is also well versed in Strategic Internet Marketing and let it develop your website and market it professionally for best results. 



Tags: How to make a user friendly blog, Tips for user friendly blog, make user friendly blog, website tips

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14 Ways to Add Content to Your Web Site

14 Ways to Add Content to Your Web Site

When I surf the Net, I often see web sites filled with beautiful graphics that strive to capture my attention. Well, they do so for an instant; however I click away when I don't immediately find relevant content. The content you add to your web site needs to attract both visitors and search engines.

14 ways to add content to your web site and attract visitors

1. Get into the mind of your visitor.

Brainstorm all the ways your visitor would think of your product. Write you’re content as if you are sitting next to him/her explaining your product. Don't write in the 3^rd person is we, they, but use I, you, or your. This makes it more personal.

2. Keep it simple

Write as if explaining your web site material to a 7th grader (12-13 year old). Don't use complicated words that people would have to look up in the dictionary. You want them to understand clearly what your site is about.

3. Convey emotion

People on the Web are often in a great hurry, so you need to appeal to their emotions to stop them clicking away to the next site. Use stories, convey your experiences or include testimonies from others. This adds to your credibility and trust, 2 essential factors for doing business online.

4. Communicate quickly and efficiently 

people online tend to scan rather than read everything on the page. Therefore use single lines of text for your headings and sub headings. Catch your visitor's eye with lists, bullet points and use short, snappy, active (not passive) words in your sentences. Your paragraphs should only consist of 2-5 sentences. Long paragraphs make it hard to read (scan) your page quickly.

5. Create white space 

The layout of your web page should include plenty of white space. Don't lean text hard up against your graphics. Include white space between headings, sub headings and paragraphs.

6. Use graphics sparingly

You have heard it said, "A picture is worth a 1000 words." That's true but only if the picture supports your content. Don't overdo the graphics. You may impress your visitors initially, however to keep them interested in your site, you need high quality content.

7. Create high quality content

Make clear points with each paragraph you write. Each paragraph should build on the previous one, so that you are pulling your visitor through your page naturally. You are trying to pre sell the product or service to your visitor. This puts them in a natural frame of mind to buy (unlike many sites which may just have pictures of the products and a shopping cart).

8. Web page background

A colorful or busy background can make your text hard to read and may give the impression of an inexperienced webmaster. If you do use a background image make sure it complements your site's theme, fits with your visitors experience and will increase your credibility.

9. Use the correct fonts

The offline world primarily uses "Times New Roman". This works well in print but not online. Sans Serif fonts, such as Arial, Verdana and Helvetica are the best fonts for easy online scanning.

10. Font colors 

The best colors for reading online are black text on a white or off-white background. If you want to use multiple colors only use a maximum of 3. Too many text colors on a web page make it hard on the eyes and spell inexperience. To emphasize text you can use the bold tag (<B>this text will appear bold</B>) or italic tag (<I>this text will appear in italics</I>).

11. Check spelling and grammar

Run your page through spell check in your word processor. It won't pick up all
the mistakes, so make sure you read it through yourself to find other errors. Spelling and grammar mistakes convey an unprofessional impression.

12. Simple navigation

The main purpose of the navigation bar is to make it easy for your visitor to find his way around your site. Place your navigation bar on the left
side or top of your page (or both). Repeat the bar at the bottom of the page so your visitor does not have to scroll back up to move on to another section.

“How to Create an Effective Web Site Navigation Structure”

13. Get a critique

Don’t fall in love with your writing and leave it there. Yes, it's hard to listen to someone criticizing your beautiful piece of work, but swallow your
pride and get your friends or family members to do a review of your web page. This will help you to refine what you have written and make it appeal to a wider audience.

14. Use specific keywords

Weave targeted keywords into your web page as you write your web page content. I'll cover "How to Write for the Search Engines" in Part II of this article.

NOTE: To gain a more in-depth understanding of how to make your content pre-sell your product or service, pick up your copy of the 159 page e-book TODAY titled:

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How to Create an RSS Feed for Your Web Site

How to Create an RSS Feed for Your Web Site

Most of People looking what is RSS, here is the solution you can find out what is RSS and how to create it, and use of it, look forward

Are you always looking for new and better ways to market your web site? Search engines are always on the look out for fresh content. When doing a search you don't want old content popping up, you want to have the most up to date information. Search engines will generally reward those sites which provide new content on a regular basis is daily or even bi-weekly.

One of the best ways to provide fresh content is to create an RSS Feed.

What is an RSS Feed?

RSS stands for "really simple syndication". For example I write articles every 2 weeks and place them on my web site or blog. I then link to that article from my home page and from my
article headlines page. I make that article available to others as an item in my RSS file. People who use RSS readers or news aggregators can read then link to your article from their web site.

You have now syndicated your content for others to view. This is a great way to improve or maintain your search engine rankings by naturally getting incoming links. Every time you write a new article it will be instantly available to 1000s of web site owners.

How to create an RSS File

RSS files use the XML language. This is similar to html except you must be careful to use closing tags and be sure to validate it before you use it. An XML file contains the information (Title, Description and Link URL) that your audience will receive through a RSS reader.

Here is all you need to create an RSS file:

-Title
-Description
-Link

1. Open notepad on your computer

Then copy and paste the information below replacing it with your own title, description and link information.

The first part contains information about your web site. The second part contains information for one of your articles. You can also include optional information in your headlines such as language, copyright info, contact email addresses, or an image.

Try to limit the number of articles you wish to include in your RSS file to 5 or less. Enclose your RSS information with the xml and rss versions you are using followed by the channel and item tags. Finish off with the RSS closing tag.

Here's the example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>

<rss version="0.91">

<channel>

<title>Web Site Design | Hosting | Marketing</title>

<link>http://website.com</link>

<description>Affordable Web Design in Maryland</description>

<language>en-us</language>

<item>
<title>How to Add a Search Engine to Your Site </title>

<link>http://www.website.com/add-search-engine.htm</link>

<description>

When visitors arrive at your web site you want them to find the information quickly otherwise they will lose patience and move on. A great way achieve this is to add a search engine or search box to your web site.

</description>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>

you have now created your first RSS file that is almost ready for syndicating.

2. Save your RSS file

Save your RSS file in plain text format with an XML extension in

http://www.website.com/rss/rss-feed.xml. You can also save it as .rss however when I

Originally tried this some RSS readers did not read the file.

3. Check your RSS file

Since RSS is an XML file some characters are illegal in XML so you have to 'escape' them, that is, insert a text string in their place.

Here are the main ones to watch out for:

-Replace all instances of '&' with: &amp; for example if you use quotation marks ie "Click

Here" change it to & quot; Click Here & quot;

-Change every apostrophe to &apos; For example: It's a boy. Becomes It & apos; s a boy.

4. Upload your RSS file

Upload your RSS file to your root directory in the same directory as your homepage

5. Validate your RSS file

Don’t assume your file is correctly coded. If not, it won't be read by RSS readers and all your hard work will be in vain.

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10 Top Reasons to Create a Blog for Your Business

10 Top Reasons to Create a Blog for Your Business

 

10 top reasons for creating a blog to enhance your business. 100% accurate. any one can use to improve there business.

1. Ability to add content in minutes.

You don't have to spend time uploading (FTP) files to your host like static sites. You can update your content from any computer that has internet access. If you have a brilliant idea you want to write about you just need to log in to your administration panel and enter your post.

2. Separate design from content.

Blog software is database driven. This means you can alter the theme or template of your blog without affecting the content. Therefore you can immediately test different colors and designs to determine what best appeals to your visitors.

3. Search engine friendly.

Blogging software such as Word Press allows you to generate search engine friendly pages. Instead of your pages ending in long URLS

Search engines like web sites that are updated frequently. Sites that don't receive new content quickly become stale. One of the main characteristics of a blog is that it is frequently updated so search engines will visit it often.

4. Create RSS Feeds.

RSS (really simple syndication) feeds are integrated within blog software. So every time you post something to your blog it will create a RSS feed automatically. It will also notify some of the larger sites that carry these feeds and make them available for syndication. This is a great viral marketing method that will quickly attract many visitors.

5. Build link popularity.

To increase your sites' rankings in Google and other search engines, you need to generate many incoming links to your web site. The more links you have the better. If you create a blog that contains valuable content, you will have many people linking to you. RSS feeds are becoming a very popular and an easy way to read content quickly. Since your blog has this feature already built in, your link popularity will build faster than if you had a site with no feeds.

6. Encourages interactivity.

Visitors can immediately add their own comments to your posts. This helps build a long term relationship with them and win their trust. It will also make your blog stickier because you will get many returning visitors eager to read others' comments or write more of their own.

7. Make money.

Blogs also offer a great way to place AdSense Ads on your pages. Word Press blogging software has a plug-in that easily allows you to place AdSense Ads anywhere on your pages as well as all current pages on your blog. With a static site you would have to add the AdSense code to each page. You can also make money by promoting affiliate sites or selling your own product.

8. Customizable.

Word Press blogging software has over 500 plug-in and hundreds of different themes to choose from. This gives you the flexibility to make your blog the best it can be for your business purposes.

9. Easy administration.

Here are some of the features of the Word Press administration panel:

-add content immediately

-change the theme (look and feel) of your blog without altering the content.

-create different permissions for people who will add content to your blog like administrators, editors, contributors.

10. Help market your newsletter.

Many emails don't get through to your subscribers these days because of spam blockers residing on your visitor’s computer or web host's server. A blog that contains RSS feeds will enable visitors to receive your newsletter automatically by subscribing to the feed on your blog. You can also send your visitors an email that includes a link back to your blog. This will also help build links to your blog as people visit it.

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