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Webmaster
By Elizabeth McGee
Give Your Website A Chance I often wonder how serious people are
when it comes to their websites. I thought that most everyone knew
that the phrase "Build it and they will come" no longer
applies on the internet but I'm not sure how many people really
believe it. I look at sites everyday as part of my sales strategy
and I can't tell you how many of them violate the obvious elements
of good website design and submission.
What even amazes me more is that they can't figure out why they
don't get sales or visitors. Do yourself a favor and attempt to
apply the following tactics to your site. They won't cost you a
thing except a little time and effort to apply them.
About Page
Always include an about page on your site. Don't be afraid to tell
your story and let people know who you are and how you arrived where
you are. Opening yourself up and letting people know who you are
adds an element of trust. It exposes your personality, capabilities
and knowledge. All factors that let your readers know you are genuine.
Include all your contact information
Let your visitors know that you are available. Encourage questions,
email and phone calls. Include your name, address and phone number.
If you can, it's also helpful to place a photo on your site. Familiarity
is key and it can add one more link in the ladder of trust.
Headlines
Create compelling headlines. Peak the interest of your readers.
This is your chance to grab their attention and incite them to read
on. Don't be flashy or obnoxious. Simply tell it like it is. Capture
their attention with descriptive, informative words. Get your readers
involved in your information. Ask questions. Make them think. You
might be surprised to learn that just one compelling headline can
bring instant sales almost overnight.
Create your meta tags
This is the first place I look when people tell me they aren't
getting visitors. I often see sites that have no title or description
tag or the tags don't follow the suggested guidelines for proper
setup. Here's an example of how the tags might look for a site that
sells hummingbird feeders: You will need to do this for each page
of your site. Each page needs to have it's own set of tags. I also
recommend focusing on one keyword per page, two at the very most.
Too many keywords can confuse what your page is about. Always make
sure that your keywords are scattered throughout your text as well,
however don't sacrifice good content for nonsense. Your text should
be easy to read and should not sound redundant. Make your pages
at least 250 words.
Testimonials
Solicit feedback from buyers you've had. Ask them to write a small
testimonial that you can place on your site. This goes a long way
to help convince your visitor that your products and services are
sound.
Linking
Reciprocal linking is a common and effective tactic for obtaining
search engine status and page rank but it's also the most time consuming.
It requires making contacts, following up with contacts and updating
your website. While reciprocal linking is an excellent way of establishing
page rank it's not the only way. Page rank can also be established
by submitting your site to directories, writing articles and setting
up blogs. Don't underestimate the power of website links. Take the
extra few hours a day and get your site noticed.
Offer Guarantees
Always offer your products with a guarantee. This is often the
extra boost a buyer needs to make the purchase. A good site will
offer 100%, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantees. People rarely
take advantage of such guarantees but it's this statement that may
tip the scales in your favor.
Submit Your Site
Last, but not least, don't neglect to submit your site to the search
engines. Many of them are no longer free but the fees are nominal
and worth the expense. Google still offers a free submit and it's
easy, simply type in your URL address, however make sure your meta
tags include a title and description tag first. For the free search
engines I don't recommend using automated submissions. Submit them
yourself taking care to compose accurate titles descriptions and
keywords.
Elizabeth McGee has spent 20 years in the service and support industry.
She has moved her expertise to the world wide web helping businesses
find trusted tools, enhance customer service, build confidence and
increase sales.
You can visit Elizabeth's sites at:
http://www.pro-marketing-online.com
and http://www.homenotion.com
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