| |
| |
|
Web Development Information |
|
|
|
Making Your Websites More Compelling
The Internet is a remarkable publishing medium. With just a little effort, you can make your web pages visually irresistible by playing with color, shapes and text. Whether your websites are already launched or you're ready to create your first few, use the 3 simple steps below to kick things up a notch and make your sites professional and appealing. Step 1: Grab People's Attention with a Photo or Graphic. Without a logo or visual image to represent the central offering on your web page, you are asking potential clients to immediately take a big leap and dive into your text. Why risk the possibility of them not reading your important message? People browsing the web are notoriously impatient. Capture their attention with a photo/graphic before they click off your site. Choose the perfect image from Photodisc, ClipArt or Corbis for as little as $9 to $90 per image. Human beings are visual creatures. Consider your favorite magazine for a moment. Would it still be your favorite if it used only text on its cover this month? Step 2: Boost the credibility of your service or product by using a professional color scheme. Using the image you selected in step one, it's easy to go the next step and pull together a professional looking color scheme. ColorSchemer is a small, inexpensive software (US$25) that helps you choose a color scheme that's eye-catching and unexpected, even if you're color-challenged. When picking colors, don't be afraid to let your personality show through. Check out http://www.colorschemer.com/. Step 3: Use graphical "signposts" throughout your material to help readers absorb your message. As you browse the web, start making mental notes about sites you enjoy visiting. I'm willing to bet it's the ones that break up text with colored bullets, numbers and other signposts that mentally engage you the most. I'll even go so far as to say that a website that does not use graphical signposts shows a disregard for the needs of the reader, intentionally or not. Think of these mini-graphics as a way of showing consideration to your reader. They want to read your material and you help them make it easy by providing mental white space and places to rest their eyes. Just a few No-No's: Don't overdo. The power of visual communication can be diluted if too many images are used on each page. There is both art and science to finding the right balance since too many images on a website can be just as ineffective as too few. The key is to work at finding this balance by studying other websites. Don't use Flash or other animation. More often than not, flash/animation comes across as cheap rather than professional and has only been shown to be effective in very specific circumstances. Moreover, web pages created with Flash don't rank well with search engines. If you must use it, do so very sparingly and be sure to have it professionally designed. Whatever you do, don't be bland. With millions of websites published every day, you must stand out in order to be noticed. Graphics that reflect you, your offering and your personality will help you become more attractive to clients -- quickly, affordably and with style. One of the challenges of working online is to alleviate your client's natural reservations in a new and unfamiliar environment - the virtual world. Making things more comfortable for them is your number one priority and graphics will help you achieve that. By going the extra mile to make your websites look 100% professional, you become more credible in your own eyes as well. Andrea J. Lee coaches entrepreneurs and online business owners. As Thomas J.Leonard's General Manager, she helped build and manage the largest network and trainer of personal and business coaches in the world. Now the CEO of Andrea J. Lee Group of Companies, she writes, speaks and consults on Marketing, Internet and Business systems. For more helpful tips, visit www.39lessons.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Web-Development - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Does Your Website Make Me Feel? When people think about the Internet, they think about technology. When people hear that I am a Website strategy expert, they see me as a "techy type". Warning: The Truth About Having a Web Site! If you don't have a web site yet, are thinking of slapping one up or have one that simply isn't producing, this Warning is for you!All too often folks contact me about getting a Web Site when they really have not done their due diligence in determining even if their "idea" is one worth investing in. And although they hate spam and don't believe most of it, they do tend to fall into believing much of the fast, easy and cheap noise online in existence only to line the pockets of shysters and unscrupulous developers. What YOU Should Know Before Getting A Web Site! Everyday thousands of new businesses make the leap and take their business on line, what about yours? If you haven't already, I'll bet you have thought about it and wondered how much more business you could be doing if you just went on line?and right about then, you wonder what it would take to get your business on line?Here are some things to consider:1. What do I expect my web site to do? The question you must ask yourself first and foremost is, "What do I want my website to do?". Trinkets, Lockets And Empty Pockets It never ceases to amaze me how many people set-up a website, without any type of plan or clue about how to promote it, how to write a sales letter, how to write an ad-- nothing!Even more amazing is how many people try to conduct business online without any money.The other day, I received an e-mail from a woman named Nadia inquiring about my E-mail Consultation Service. I Did It: Six Months to a Successful Website For years now I've been looking to start my own business, but my highest priority has always been to spend less time working, and more time with my family, while still giving them everything they need (and most of what they want). It's a common dream, right? No boss to answer to, less stress, more vacation, more quality family time. 3 Ways To Increase Your Websites Conversion rate Everywhere you look these days, people are telling you that in order to sell through your website, you need tons of traffic.Well, even though my business is traffic generation, *I'm* going to tell you that it's a BIG FAT LIE!The secret of a successful website isn't just in the amount of visitors it has; it's in the amount of visitors that are converted to buyers. Guide to Internet Business - Website Setup After planning the design and content of your website, it's time to actually physically set up your website. This is the step where you put all your designs and plans into action, creating a website that will attract visitors and earn income. What ROI You Should Expect From Your Web Site Is Your Web Site an Expense or an Investment?Why don't you think of your web site as of an investment rather than of an expense? Having a web site is very similar to having an investment property.Let me show you why. But My Business Doesnt Need A Website! Revenues are often lost because many business owners don't see the value in having a website. They claim their products can't be sold online and technology is overwhelming. Website Survival Guide In the big, wide online world there are millions of websites and billions of webpages. In the increasing sprawl of this virtual jungle there must be an evolution. How To Get Your Customers To Trust Your Website Research reveals three important facts:1) The Internet is one of the most important sources of information.2) The trustworthiness of the Internet is declining. Ecommerce for Beginners Like most average persons, I wanted some extra money to supplement my regular income. I had considered a part time second job at times, but hated that option because it would take me away from the family, make me more tired and probably just pay minimum wage. The Topic Of Your Website The first thing you will have to deal building your website has nothing to do with the web design itself, it's me related to content writing but it must be defined and will effect the rest of your actions. So first of all you need to decide what the topic of your future website is. The Number 1 Reason Most Websites Fail Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and every one of us. What one man treats as success another may view as failure. If You Build It, They Will Come? Building a new website can be a lengthy task. From scratch to the client's specification and then implement additional features and/or changes the client usually has. Setting Up A CGI Script On Your Web Site Before you set up any scripts you will need some information about your server. You can get this by e-mailing your web hosting provider. How Worldly is Your World Wide Web? The growth in Internet usage around the world is astounding - 146% in the five years prior to March 2005. And it's not just European and North American users on the Net. Web Accessibility Myths With more and more countries around the world passing laws about blind and disabled access to the Internet (including the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK), web accessibility has been thrown into the spotlight of the online community. This article attempt to put a stop to the misinformation that has been thrown around and tell you the truth behind web accessibility. Why Your Business Needs a Website Even with the steady growth of the World Wide Web, many businesses do not have an online presence and some think that they do not need to have a presence at all."My business is doing fine as it is. Ten Quick Tests To Check Your Website For Accessibility The Disability Discrimination Act says that websites must be made accessible to disabled people. So how can you check that your website is up to par? There are a number of basic tests you can make to address some of the main issues that provide a good start in increasing accessibility to your site visitors:1.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |