As significate as landing on the moon was, your spot in cyberspace can be just as memorable. I find that the better looking and working a site is then the more it makes me want to come back and use it. When a person first lands on your website they need to be amazed at not only the design but the content and what you offer. Each part of your website should leave a mark in the visitors mind and make them want to stop in every time they jump online. Just same way you want to stop in at the local shops down the street, your website should pull and draw users in.
I know, I know. The question has just popped into your head. How do You Make Your Site Draw Visitors In? Good Question. Let me know when you have the answer(as I head towards the exit). Ok, I am not going to leave you high and dry like that. I like you and am going to try to help you out. I know, I am a nice guy.
Well there are a few ways to do this. To make a great site I believe there are three main keys.
1. Your Design.
2. Your Content.
3. How Your Site Works
No you might have all three keys already, which is great for you but bad for me as you are probably going to stop reading any second now. For the rest of you who stuck with me you probably have at least One of the Three Keys above. The other two aren't that hard to get.
The reason I list these keys above in the order I did is because this is how a visitor is going to evaluate your website. First they will see the design before anything(including the content or how the site works). So you must make sure the design is fluid, has a good color combination as well as the text is easy to read. Also make sure the navigation is easy to reach(unless you don't want them to check out any other parts of your site).
Once the design pulls them in then they will be looking at your content to see if it interests them. It probably does as if it didn't they likely wouldn't have came to your website in the first place. Keeping your content updated will help keep their interest and will make them start clicking around your site. This is what you want them to do and is especially important if you have a store on your website. The longer they stay on your site the better chance you have of them engaging in on activities (such as a message board) or purchasing from your store.
Now you can see how these two things line up for the last part. If your site doesn't work properly then the first two keys(design and content) will be for absolutely nothing. If your subpages don't load quickly, if links don't work and if errors pop up all over the site then you are going to be in big trouble. Visitors will leave your site quicker then a speeding bullet. So make sure your site works properly.
Remember having a great design, content and a site that works is very easy. The tricky part is getting visitors to your website, so once you get them there you definitely don't want to loose them. Cause if they leave all your effort will have been for not. |
