Chapter 9: Web Site Mechanics
Building Your Site in the Visitor's Eyes
You can fully utilize all the above programs yet do little for your contact or sales. The reason is that your web site may not be designed toward the visitor. After performing over 400 web site reviews and analysis over three years, and utilizing more than 100 sources to complete all projects, a detailed study indicates what makes a successful web site work.
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Scrutinize Your Web Site Under These 8 Categories
1. Accessibility
Can the visitor easily find everything they will need to know about the company and the products/services they offer? Key information must be no more than 2–3 clicks from the homepage.
2. Navigation
Can the visitor easily travel throughout the web site without having to go back, bookmark or recall previously visited pages? Navigation should be consistent on every page.
3. Information Content
Does the site provide full information about everything the visitor will need or want to know about the products and services? Incomplete information is the #1 reason visitors leave without contacting you.
4. Internet Rankings
Can the site be found easily on most major search engines? Can it be found on regional engines and directories? Is the site ranking optimized? Follow chapters 2 and 3 of this guide to address this area.
5. Visitor Guidance
Do visitors have the ability to ask questions, obtain feedback and read personal references? Testimonials, FAQ pages and live contact options dramatically improve conversion rates.
6. Programming
Is the web site designed using programming language that is read by all browsers? Is the web site programming optimized for search engine retrieval? Avoid heavy use of Flash or JavaScript in areas that need to be indexed.
7. Appearance
Is the site visually professional, clean and consistent? Does the design match the brand and audience expectations? First impressions matter — most visitors decide within 8 seconds whether to stay or leave.
8. Conversion
Is there a clear call to action on every page? Does the site guide visitors toward a specific goal — a phone call, a form submission, a purchase? Every page should have a purpose.
Business Development Resources
Looking to grow your business beyond your web site? Explore these opportunities:
Broker Services Network Careers •
BSN Q&A
Proceed to Chapter 10: Build Your Affiliate Program →