Although the Internet has provided a wealth of
opportunity for all of us, it has also created a breeding ground for
scam artists. Internet users are very reluctant to make purchases
online, and share their personal information. For this reason, you must
take every opportunity to convey your professionalism from your web
site, products and services, to your customer service, each will play
an important part in your success.
The moment your site loads, your
visitors will have an instant reaction your site will either convey
your professionalism or your amateurism. If your site doesn't look
professional, your visitors may leave your site prematurely and never
return.
If you're not confident in your ability to
design a professional looking web site, it would be in your best
interest to hire a professional.
In addition to having a professional
appearance, a professional web site should possess the following
essential components:
Domain Name
In order to establish credibility, you must be
willing to invest in your own domain name and professional web hosting.
Web sites hosted on free servers are not taken seriously and will
suffer a serious loss of business. Your visitors may feel that if you
don't have your own domain, you may not be a credible company. They'll
simply take their business elsewhere.
Professional Logo
A professional looking logo is an absolute
must. Not only will it give your site a more professional appearance,
but it will also enable your visitors to recognize your brand. Your
logo should be displayed in the top left corner of each page of your
web site.
If you're not confident in your ability to
design your own logo, you can get a professional logo designed at Logojeez.com.
Theme-based Content
Your web site should focus on a specific subject and provide a variety
of information that relates to the subject. For example, if your web
site focuses on dog grooming, your pages might include all of the
following:
• Dog grooming articles
• Dog grooming ezine (newsletter)
• Dog grooming tips
• Dog grooming accessories
• Links to Dog Grooming resources
• Dog grooming news links
• Dog grooming photographs
Content comes in a variety of
forms including news, articles, tips, horoscopes, weather and resource
links. Although fresh, original content is preferable, there are a
variety of free resources available on the Internet that will provide
you with free content.
The following web sites provide free articles for publication:
Ezine Articles
Go Articles
Article City
Idea Marketers
The following web sites provide free syndicated content:
Syndicator
YellowBrix
Moreover
Email Capture
Collecting your potential customers' email addresses is an absolute
must. Whether you publish an ezine,
provide web site and/or product announcements or tips, you must take
every opportunity to capture your visitors' email addresses. Display a
subscription form on every page of your web site.
Privacy Policy
Internet users are becoming more and more concerned with their privacy.
However, there is something you can do to ease their minds.
Create a page on your web site called "Privacy" and let your visitors
know exactly how you will be using the information you collect.
This page should include an explanation of all of the following:
• How do you plan on using their information?
• Is their information sold or shared with a third party?
• Why do you collect their email address and how will it be used?
• Why do you track their IP address?
• Let your visitors know that you're not responsible for the privacy
issues of any outside web sites you may be linking to.
• Why do you use order forms and what do you do with the information acquired?
• Do you run contests and what do you do with the information?
• Do you have a discussion forum or message board? Let your visitors
know that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes
public information and that they should exercise caution.
• Do you have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse
and alteration of the information under your control? If so, let your
visitors know.
• Let your visitors know how they can opt out of your mailing lists.
• Provide your visitors with your contact information should they have
any questions about your privacy statement.
About Page
An "About" page is an essential part of a
professional web site. Your potential customers want to know exactly
who you are.
Create a page to add to your web site called "About" and include all of the following:
- A personal or professional biography.
- A photograph of yourself.
- A complete description of you and/or your company.
- Your web site and/or company objectives.
- Your name, address, phone number and email address.
It is very important that you include an "About" page especially if you're selling a product or service. You must do everything in your power to put your visitors' minds at ease.
Testimonials
A great way to build your credibility with
your potential customers is to display your customer testimonials.
Include your customer's name, email address and web address with each
unsolicited testimonial to increase believability.
Money Back Guarantee
To further increase your credibility, you must
completely remove your potential customers' risk. Provide them with a
solid, no risk, money back guarantee. This will put their mind at ease
by building their confidence in you and your product.
Feedback
Many times, potential customers will have
questions about your products and services. Instead of displaying an
email address on your web site, consider using a feedback form. Create
a page on your web site called feedback and place a form on this page
to enable your visitors to contact you. Your personal response to your
potential customers can literally determine whether or not you're going
to make a sale.
Secure Server
If you're processing your customers' orders
online, you must place your order form on a secure server. Not only
will a secure server protect your customers' personal information, but
it also provides him/her with added confidence in placing an order with
you.
Copyrights
Display your copyright information at the
bottom of each page. It's best to include both the word Copyright and
the © symbol, as some countries don't recognize one or the other. Your
copyright might look like this:
Copyright © Year Company Name
By taking the time to ensure your site possesses these essential components, you will increase your chances of success considerably.
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