Harmony Hollow Software

15 Website Elements That Attract Visitors


Here is a quick list of components that make a website attractive. They are listed in layers of attractiveness beginning with the "must" haves, to "nice to haves."

1. State the website's purpose up front and clearly of the site. Do this as quickly as possible. The visitor needs to know immediately if they have landed on the right site. They also need to know "what's in it for me to stay here." If you don't provide this, they are gone. 90% of the sites on the Net don't do this.

2. Give visitors the ability to search for exactly what they are looking for, if they have something exact in mind. A "site search feature" satisfies this best. Allow the search feature to be prominently displayed and not hidden away somewhere. It is best place in the navigational system so that it shows up on every page. Sales letter only websites are an exception to this rule. Return visitors and visitors that have something specifically in mind, want the option and ability to find what they want fast. So give it to them.

3. Photos allow connection. Especially to people who process visually. Clip art gets them to pay attention, however, it doesn't create much of a connection. Personal photos connect within reason. Keep them less than three to a page. One photo always needs to be in the top portion of the screen on the first page. It doesn't need to be large, but attractive.

4. Ways to capture visitors information wherever possible.

5. Place items on the site that keep them lingering. Audio and video are one of these, yet there are other less time consuming and inexpensive ways to keep them entertained.

6. Articles. For solopreneur sites, your own written articles. For other sites, articles with various authors yet on focus.

7. Interactive elements. For example: response forms, quizzes

8. If you use a shopping cart, it must be fluid, no hiccups. PayPal is not a shopping cart, it's a hiccup. All auto responders must be well written and positive. If someone purchased something, they need the energy of "thank you."

9. Give offers that are of value.

10. Clear path of where a newcomer can start if it is their first visit.

11. Newsletter that is consistent with the 80/20 rule. 80% value and 20% marketing.

12. E-courses of value.

13. Well-written e-books: 50-75 pages, plus valuable information (info not found anywhere else). Length doesn't do more than provide perceptive value. Once purchased and the vastness is only fluff, then your credibility is shot. Complimentary e-books meet the same requirements.

14. Give them other ways to receive more on...you if you are the focus...or the information if that is the focus.

15. Automated referral system. If you want referrals for your products or services, make it easy for you to get them. Set it up so it's as automatic as possible, and clear and easy for someone to send you a referral. Be clear on what and how you want to give for that referral.

Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

Add to these social bookmarking sites:

Add to: Mr. Wong Add to: Webnews Add to: Icio Add to: Oneview Add to: Folkd Add to: Yigg Add to: Linkarena Add to: Digg Add to: Del.icio.us Add to: Reddit Add to: Simpy Add to: StumbleUpon Add to: Slashdot Add to: Netscape Add to: Furl Add to: Yahoo Add to: Spurl Add to: Google Add to: Blinklist Add to: Blogmarks Add to: Diigo Add to: Technorati Add to: Newsvine Add to: Blinkbits Add to: Ma.Gnolia Add to: Smarking Add to: Netvouz Information

MORE RESOURCES:

eCommerce Web Design Firms Ranking Includes Hudson Horizons as #2 by 10 ...
Newsday
10 Best Design – also known as 10BD for short – is one of the most well-known awards and rankings institutions for the web design industry. 10BD has recently expanded their organization's reach by creating awards for the Best eCommerce Web Design ...

and more »


PR Web (press release)

Academy of Art University Web Design and New Media Student Heather ...
PR Web (press release)
Heather Tomkins, a Web Design and New Media graduate student at Academy of Art University, will be spending the summer working at Klout, the San Francisco tech company that measures the influence of social media users, thanks to the Kleiner Perkins ...



5 Pillars of a Successful Modern Web Design
Search Engine Watch
To compete successfully in today's new media landscape, simply having an optimized website isn't enough. You must now consider a number of new factors when designing your website. These factors include modern design and content, usability and ...



Thatsit, Inc. Now Offers Responsive Web Design - PRWeb
PR Web (press release)
Responsive Web Design is a web design approach to create optimal viewing experience no matter what type of device the site is being viewed on. And it's not a fab that will go away any time soon. Because of that, ThatsIt, Inc. service of Responsive Web ...
InfiniteSkills' "Learning Responsive Web Design Training" A Tutorial That ...Albany Times Union

all 3 news articles »


Adlava Named Fifth Best Web Design Company by bestwebdesignagencies ...
PR Web (press release)
The independent authority on web design and development, bestwebdesignagencies.com, has released their list of the best web design companies citing Adlava as the fifth best web design company for the month of May 2013. The decision to include Adlava ...

and more »


Announcing Runyan Creative Solutions, a Brand New Business-Class Web ...
PR Web (press release)
Announcing Runyan Creative Solutions, a Brand New Business-Class Web Design Firm. Runyan Creative Solutions is a newly-formed web design company out of Greensboro, NC using the latest technology with a focus on customer satisfaction. Share on ...

and more »


eCommerce Web Design Firms Awards Names RazorIT 1st Rank by 10 Best ...
PR Web (press release)
10 Best Design (10BD) is a top of the line ranking and reviews organization for web design firms. The 10BD Best Web Design Firms awards have grown to become one of the most notable online today, and in their first expansion into awards for ecommerce ...

and more »


EcommerceBytes

Web Design Challenge: An Ecommmerce Makeover
EcommerceBytes
HGTV has its "Designers' Challenge"; now EcommerceBytes is kicking off its first Web Design Challenge. We're going to put three designers through their paces and see which one comes out on top. Not only could your site be the direct beneficiary, but ...

and more »


Marketing magazine Australia (blog)

Brand in hand: the strengths and weaknesses of responsive web design
Marketing magazine Australia (blog)
Joe Barber has been involved in mobile for over 8 years and is founder and CEO of Modapt.com. He was also the original founder of Third Screen and more recently founder and director of Sniip.com. Joe is a guest speaker at many trade events and ...



Designers Rejoice, Froont Wants To Keep Developers Out Of The Responsive ...
eu.techcrunch
Responsive web design — where a single version of a site is designed to adapt in size and layout depending on the device that it's being viewed on — is particularly in vogue right now. And with the proliferation of various types of mobile devices ...
FROONT public beta launchPressDoc (press release)

all 2 news articles »


Notice: Undefined index: TITLE in /var/www/vhosts/harmonyhollow.net/httpdocs/webmaster-resources/web-design/inc/rss.inc on line 103
Google News

Home | Site Map
© 2006