Preparing Your Site For 2011

With the new year here, it is about time you make sure your website is up to par with all the trends 2011 brings. Make 2011 the year of giving your customers exactly what they want. If possible, send out a customer satisfaction survey. This way you will know exactly what you customers are looking for and how to please them. Until you are able to find out exactly what they want, here is our list of what you should be doing to keep business booming in 2011.

Continue with the social media. Social media may just more than a trend. Its been around for quite some time now and does not seem to be going anywhere. In fact, social media appears to be reaching a larger crowd then ever. Social media has branched out long beyond your college scene is no reaching a younger and older crowd than ever before. Virtually any product or service can be marketed through the use of social media.

Use mobile marketing. With the Android, iPhone, iPad and a zillion other smart phones, mobile marketing can be just about anything you want it to be. You can use mobile marketing to allow individuals to know what is going on with your business. Sales, deals and promotions can easily be known through mobile marketing via an application, the mobile web or through a text message. Additionally, give mobile shopping a try. Individuals can shop anywhere at anytime, convenience is a major factor for consumers.

Integrate multi-media viewing into your projects. Allow customers to pan, zoom and view all angles of a product from their home computer or mobile device. Provide customers with a life-like experience without having to ever step foot in a brick and mortar establishment.

Develop your content. Refine your content to meet the demands of your consumers. Avoid long, drawn out paragraphs of text. Keep it simple and get your point across. Do not just stop at text, pictures, videos, audio and pod casts can play an integral role in the success of your website. Additionally, make it SEO friendly. You want your page to show up at the top of a search engine results page.

While these may be some of the things everyone else is doing. They work! Be creative and make these ideas your own. Standing out in the crowd is the best way to get noticed and see success as a business.

How to Boost Your Online Business?

The popularity of online shopping continues to grow and grow. With so many online stores selling similar products, standing out in the online shopping world is a must. Here’s how to boost your business and stand out from the crowd.

• Develop an SEO campaign. Keywords will direct traffic to your website.  When a customer places keywords in a search engine, using the right keywords will place you on top of the competition.
• Develop a user-friendly website. A user-friendly website should load quickly and be easy to navigate. If a potential customer becomes frustrated with the loading time or has difficulty navigating your online store, they are likely to move on to the next site.
• Make a deal no one can refuse. Offer free shipping, sales, clearance items, free gifts with purchase and promotional codes. Every consumer loves a good sale.
• Use e-mail marketing. Let loyal customers know about your sales and promotions. Use e-mail marketing to send sale reminders, promotional codes and information on new products.
• Use social media. Facebook and Twitter is a great way to get your name out there. You can use these media outlets for promotions and lead generation. Offer contests through the use of social media.
• Create a blog. Let shoppers know what your company is all about. Use a blog to explain company events and to mark company milestones. Blogs can also provide reviews and demonstrations of products for sale on your website.

Top Website Design Mistakes

We all make mistakes. Unfortunately, making a mistake in website design can cost you viewers and potential customers. Here are some mistakes you need to try your hardest to avoid.

• What is this website about? Users must know what the website is pertaining to within seconds of visiting a website. If a user has no idea what type or product, service or information you are selling, it is highly likely that they will turn to another source. It only takes a few seconds to lose business.
• Writing a book. Don’t write a book. If a user wants to read a book, that is what they will do. A website with paragraphs upon paragraphs of information can be intimidating or waste the users time. Use bulleted points, numbers, headers, subheadings and lists to convey your message in a way that will give users the information they need quickly.
• Tiny, fancy fonts. A website should be easy to read. Tiny, fancy fonts are likely to turn a user away from your website. Make the reading process comfortable and avoid causing users to strain their eyes. Use a size 12 font that is easy on the eyes.
• Avoid registration. Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not require users to sign up to view content or make them register in order to make a purchase. When consumers want information now or to place an order quickly, do not consume their time. Give users what they want quickly and avoid the unnecessary steps.
• Don’t forget your contact information. Nothing is worse than not being able to contact a company. Be sure to at the very least include an e-mail address. Users may have questions!

Designs that Gets Results

A blog might be blog, but without any call to action you may risk losing readers. If your goal is to activate or mobilize, you may very well be missing out on your goals.

A call to action is anything that encourages your reader to act. A call to action may include signing up for e-mail updates, following you on Twitter, or forwarding information about your blog onto a friend. Political groups and non-profit organizations may also use call to actions to encourage readers to donate, write letter, or even register to vote.

The most effective methods of getting results include:

• Social media. Encourage readers to check you out on social media. Encourage them to follow your Twitter feed or become a friend or fan on face book.
• Create e-mail updates. Remember to reserve a place on your blog to encourage readers to sign up for your e-mail updates. Make the sign-up for simple, just ask for a name and e-mail address.
• Don’t over do Twitter. If you want individuals to follow you on Twitter, they know how to find you. You do not need to go all out to advertise your Twitter page.
• RSS. A majority of modern browsers offer a way to identify your site with RSS feeds. It does not hurt to offer readers an easy-to-find image linking to your feed.
• When asking readers to register, contribute, or donate, make it simple for them do to what you are asking. If you are asking for donations, have a simple Paypal donate button.

When designing the layout of your blog consider:

• Utilizing negative space. Do not leave empty white spaces. Use these spaces to place call to actions.
• Contrast your colors. All quality websites should have a color scheme. Choose a contrasting color scheme with a theme. Use your color schemes to draw attention to your call to actions.
• Utilize the size of your page. Larger elements will help attract your readers to your call to actions. You can always tweak this items as you see fit. Utilizing larger elements will allow readers to see your requests regardless of why they visited your site.
• Font matters. Choose a font and size that is web friendly and easy to read.
• Follow the eye. People tend to read left to right and top to bottom. Strategically place information keeping that bit of information in mind.

Designing a User Friendly Site

What good is a website if your users don’t understand how to use it? No good. Creating a user friendly website is very important to your success in the online world. If you want your online website or business to be successful, it is important to develop a site that is easy-to-use and is compatible on all sorts of web browsers.

When designing your website it is important to keep it user-friendly. Following these few steps will keep visitors coming back for more.

• Avoid pages that contain splash. Splash pages are pointless. They are just an introduction with a “click here to enter” sign or banner. Splash pages create extra clicking and loading time for visitors. Without a splash page, your visitors can visit your site without the added wait time.
• Make your navigation easy-to-use. Keeping your navigation simple will prevent user frustration. If you have a large website, people may find it difficult to navigate. If frustration sets in, people may just leave your website and find a site that they can actually find their way around. To keep your navigation simple, avoid using scripts and flash menus. This will ensure that your visitors get all of the pertinent information.
• Keep your website readable. Avoid long, lengthy paragraphs. If you have a lot of important content, avoid using long paragraphs to convey this information. Break up your content into small, easy-to-read sections. This will prevent boredom and keep your visitors on your site. Small bits of information will provide all the necessary information your visitors need to retain.
• Use CSS. CSS style is an easy format to use and will ensure that all of your visitors will be able to view all the information your site has to offer. Ensure that your text is easy to read. Use a standard font. A standard font will ensure that it is compatible with all of your visitors’ computer systems. CSS makes it easy to adjust the font and style of your settings. CSS can easily change the book of your entire website by editing just one file.
• Test your website in other browsers. What looks great in one browser, may look terrible in another. Individuals use a variety of different browsers. It is important to ensure that your messages look great to all visitors, regardless of what type of web browser they use. W3.org is a website that is designed to check the standards of your web design and it’s compatibility with different web browsers. This will help ensure compatibility.