Analyze Your Web Site

Do You Want To Make Money With Your Web Site?

Then you need to fix it!

With the software available today anyone can build a web site, the problem is identifying and implementing what makes an effective web site!

To learn how to analyze your own web site effectively you must
learn to be objective and honest with yourself!

There are general layout aspects and features that apply to most sites that you can learn fairly quickly but then you need to understand the fine nuances of web site development. 

That includes understanding how your web site may look fine to you but a percentage of your visitors may see a blank screen when visiting because of browser compatibility, screen resolution, operating system, etc...

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Get Started
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The first thing you need is an index page, that first page that appears when your web site loads.

Unfortunately there is still a tendency of many webmasters to use a "Splash" or "Intro" page.

This may be a Flash intro or just a large graphic that says "Click Here To Enter".

Imagine opening a door to walk into a store and walking straight into another door that says "Click Here to Enter". How frustrating would that be?

Why create an extra step for your visitors? They have already typed in your URL or clicked on a link to get to your site and you are adding an extra step!

There are many other problems with a Splash page from a marketing point of view (no keyword content to index as an example) but that is for a future article.

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First Impression Is Every Thing!
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Call up your web site and load your index page, without scrolling or moving your mouse, what do you see? 

Does something load immediately or are you staring at a blank screen?

Is there a bunch of graphics or is there some content that clearly introduces your site?

You have about 7 seconds to show your visitors your site has what they are looking for or they are gone!

Keep in mind 50% of people have a 15" or smaller monitor and some people are using WebTV or a laptop. The page that looks clear on your 19" monitor may look great but shrink down your browser window and take another look!

Now here is a real test. If you are using Windows minimize the window you are reading this in and right click your desktop.

Choose "properties" and then click the "Settings" tab. In the bottom right hand corner you can change your resolution. Take a look at your site at 800 X 600 and 1024 X 768, the two most popular resolutions. 

Amazed by the difference? Try the others just for fun. (Instructions will vary slightly depending on which version of Windows you are using, if you aren't using Windows you are smart enough to be able to change the resolution on your own so I won't worry about covering them all).

Now you've seen how some other people may see your site because of varying resolutions, what about different browsers?

Believe it or not, not everyone uses Internet Explorer. Netscape is still used by 11% of Internet users and 1-5% of people use other miscellaneous browsers like Opera.

Obviously it is important to have site that looks good in Explorer but what about everyone else? Imagine opening a retail store and setting the door size so only 80-90% of people can get through?

Then why do it to your web site? Test your site AT LEAST in IE4 and higher and Netscape 4.7 and higher. 

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Site Content
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Do you have informative text that clearly and quickly introduces your site or do you have hefty paragraphs that fill the screen in all directions?

If you want to get a point across online you need to use bullets and emphasis tags, use bold and italics, don't confuse your visitors by underlining things that aren't links.

Leave white space, don't cram in graphics and text. If your site looks too congested, especially on smaller monitors people, get overwhelmed and hit the back button.

If you want people to navigate your site you need to set paths for them. Don't force people to guess what is a link and what isn't.

Use a standard navigation that clearly identifies paths through your site. If you are selling something you need the basic pages:

About Us
Contact Us
Products

Don't overwhelm people with links to every one of your pages, group pages together and let people flow through them.

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What Do You Want People To Do?
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Do you want them to buy a product, click an affiliate link, contact you for a quote? 

Make it easy for them, make it obvious. Make sure it is no more than three clicks from your index page.

If you want to make sales, have your contact information on a separate page accessible from every page. That contact page must include a contact name, e-mail address that can be cut and pasted, address and a phone number when possible.

Also be sure to include a short form people can fill in as this will stimulate contact which in turn stimulates sales.

And this is just the beginning!

This article is already too long and it just covers some of the basics. Here is a quick summary you can use as a checklist when looking at your site:


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Summary
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1) Look at the first page that loads on your web site. Is it an ineffective Splash page or are people right into your site?

2) How does your site look at different resolutions? What about in different browsers?

3) Use bullets and emphasis tags to introduce your web site.

4) Lay out your site navigation so that less choices are better, create paths for people to follow rather than overwhelm them with dozens of choices.

5) If you want to make sales set the tone with an effective customer service section.


If you are serious about getting your web site going I'd encourage you to order one of our advanced web site analyses. It will cover all the above information and so much more to help make sure your site really is an effective sales tool for you.

Happy Marketing!

Questions?
Send me an email: Mike@surf22.com

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