On average, website visitors only read about 20% of the text on a page, according to a study from 2008 on web usability. With people only paying attention to such a small amount of your copy, it is important to make it all count. After cutting down the amount of copy on your website, here are some other ways to imrprove your website's readability. Clear and Simple Language Avoid using jargin and general information. Be specific and clear. Keep paragraphs short with one idea per paragraph. Use lists with numbers or bullet points to break up information. Organize Your Information Put the most ...

While it is important to have a website for your business that you like, you ultimately should be creating a website that appeals to your audience. You must learn to look at your website through the eyes of your audience. Even if your website seems perfect to you, it may not come across that way to your audience. This could mean you are pushing away potential customers from knowing about your business and what it can offer. When looking at your website, there are three things you should focus on from the perspective of a visitor. Usability Is your website easy to navigate? ...

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, ...

Having an effective sales and marketing plan is crucial in order to get the results you want. Whether it is to increase brand awareness or to sell specific products or services, you should always make sure to optimize your marketing plan to get the best results possible. Know Your Customers. If you can't identify specific information about who your customer is, you need to run a customer profile analysis. Once you figure out who they are and what they want, then you'll be able to cater to their needs. Build Your Customer List. Having a strong customer list is a simple way ...

Many small businesses are still not using basic online marketing tools to help them grow their business. According to a survey from Citibank, 37% of small businesses had not used a website for marketing or expanding their business in the last year. Also, 84% had not used ecommerce to sell products, and 62% have not used email marketing. Of those businesses that do have a website, 74% say their website has been effective at generating business. The survey also found that while many small businesses placed an importance on word-of-mouth marketing to market themselves and find new customers, they did not view social ...

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 ...

The vast majority of U.S. Internet users prefer to use more than one channel [computer, mobile device, in-store, etc.] to research and purchase products and services, according to a survey from ATG and MarketTools. Almost half of the people said they use two channels when shopping for products and services and 24% said they use three or more. One of the main points from this survey showed that the Internet was used as a research tool. The Internet accounts for only 7.7% of total retail sales, but online research was used in 42% of sales, according to the new study "U.S. Online ...

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 ...

According to the survey "Website Design Strategies and Tactics, most e-commerce websites are planning a redesign of their website in 2010. Almost half of the e-commerce websites planning on a redesign are looking to create better organization with updated home and inner pages of their website. They are also looking for better search engine optimization and clearer navigation for the website. About one-third of the retailers are also looking to add video or streaming media as well as customer reviews and ratings. The main reason given by retailers for the redesign is to increase sales and attract new shoppers. It is important to keep ...

With more people searching and researching companies on the web and making their purchasing decisions online, your website could easily be the first thing a potential customer sees about your business. Having a corporate website design that hasn't been updated in years conveys that your company doesn't belong in 2010. Regardless of the industry you're in, it's imperative to keep your website up-to-date. There are a few simple ways you can see if it is time for you to revamp your website. Lack of intelligent reporting and analytics - Your website is a powerful medium through which you can engage your audience. ...

Small businesses are planning on doing more online marketing in 2010, according to studies from Vistaprint and Ad-ology. Small businesses are looking to increase their marketing plans for social media (14%), online and search advertising (11%). Also, only 38% of small businesses currently have a company website, but 32% of respondents said they would be interested in building a website if they had more time and money to spend on it. In a separate survey, Ad-ology found that 46% of US small businesses did not have a website. With more small businesses becoming interested in online marketing, it is critical to have a website ...