Your website is a very important part of your marketing plan and as such, should be created and designed with users in mind. This will ensure a positive user experience and effectiveness in getting your message across. If you don’t yet have a website and are just starting to create your master plan or feel that you have an ineffective website, make sure you consider these tips for a more engaging and effective website. 1. Less is More With so many technologies and tools available, it’s possible to have your website filled with features that might cloud your message. While this may ...

Long gone are the days of static websites that simply provided information to visitors. Today’s savvy customers demand more from a website than simple contact information. Visitors are looking for positive interactions that provide them with exactly what they need, whether that’s an in-depth explanation, a demonstration or a question answered real-time. Creating positive interactions on your website depends largely on what you have to offer your visitors. If you’re looking for ways to increase the time visitors spend on your website, you need to provide them with various options of interacting with your website. Below are ...

The Direct Marketing Association is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. They will be releasing their new website design that complete revitalizes their company. Their old homepage was extremely cluttered with links, a lot of flashing banners, and a moving ticker at the bottom. There is no clear direction in which the DMA wants their visitors to go. With so many options and links, it can be confusing for visitors to figure out where they will go and lead to a low click-through rate and high bounce rate. Their ...

Including clear navigation and links for social shopping can help improve a shopper's experience on your eCommerce website. However, the basics are often what customers focus on when visiting your website. According to the “Revolutionizing Website Design” report from digital marketing agency Oneupweb, Web users tend to focus on the fundamentals that facilitate purchasing. Clear pricing and shipping information topped the important feature list, followed by a website that looks credible and trustworthy. More advanced features like links to social media and online customer service fell to the bottom of the list. Online retailers who are worried about conversion rates, failed transactions and ...

A key element of website design is having clear call-to-action buttons and links. A "call to action" refers to copy and images that compel a user to take a certain action. Typically the action is to purchase a product or take a step in the sales cycle that will hopefully lead to a sale, like sign up for a newsletter. A clear call to action tells your visitors what you expect them to do, and what they can expect when they do that. It will lead your visitors strategically on a path through your website. One example of a website with clear ...

Small businesses often times have a smaller marketing budget and need to be wise in how they spend that money. However, one area where they should not hold back money is in their website design. According to a recent survey, approximately 75 percent of web users admit to judging a website's creditability based on its website design. On average, visitors take only 50 milliseconds to make a decision on a website's visual design. Some basic web design aspects that businesses should be careful of are: Using unprofessional images and fonts Having complicated navigation Hiding important product/service information Not updating the information available on your website Bad language ...

A website is more than just a brochure. It is a 24-hour live sales person that is constantly promoting your company and its products and services. Among many things, your website serves as a tool that helps communicate the value that your business brings to the consumer. Let your website show why visitors should utilize your business and why you are different from your competition. As you may only get a few minutes of your potential customers' time, it is imperative that the information that you provide is conveyed easily, effectively and dynamically. Otherwise you risk the possibility of the individual leaving ...

While money may be the highest factor for travelers when using a travel website, a lot of them will leave a website if they have difficulties navigating the website and checkout process. According to a survey of survey of US online travel bookers by PhoCusWright, site-related complaints like not wanting to register with the website, slow loading times, and general confusion caused people not to complete their online transactions. Also, more than a third of online travel bookers said that website problems like this make them less likely to shop at that website again. Business travelers, who are more likely than ...

It is important when creating a presence for your business on the web to choose the options that work best for your specific business. It can be difficult to decide if you want to create a microsite, if you want to get multiple domain names, or to use your main website. Each option has strengths and benefits depending on what you are aiming to achieve, and the budget you have available. Microsite A microsite provides detailed information about a specific product or service that may not be available on the main website. By using a microsite, you can target specific keywords to make the ...

Search Logs are often not included in regular analytics package, or if they are included, they are ignored. Paying attention to your website's Search Log can help you learn more how people use your website. Pay attention to these three aspects of your search log. Your Top Search Terms - This shows how visitors think as they explore your site. See if any of the results have any patterns relating to the calendar year. Are people searching for tax information right before tax day? Are people searching for gifts and flowers around Valentine's Day? Once you figure out your top search terms, ...

A study from Constant Contact finds that after word of mouth, small businesses consider websites the most important marketing method in finding new customers. Approximately 93% of the people chose a website, while the next highest choice was email marketing at 89%. In 2009, only 78% of small businesses surveyed relied on a website to bring in new customers and only 70% thought email marketing was important. With so many businesses relying on their website to attract new customers even more than before, it is important that you keep your website up-to-date in design and technology in order to compete. If you ...

While it may be tempting to put all of the information you have about your company, its products and services on the home page for people to see right away, this is often overwhelming for visitors and can drive people away from your company. Websites should be treated like an online version of a store or business. When you walk into a grocery store, you aren't confronted with flashing lights, blaring music, and every product the store has in stock. Instead, you will see a handful of products with signs and indicators directing you to other items. In the same way, your ...