Find
out how to get the advantage over your competitors through the design
of your most valuable, virtual asset … your WEBSITE. Surefire ways to
make your website work.
Do you have the Virtual Edge with your business? That website that when
people go there they say, Wow, I want to work with that company. If
not, here are a few pointers.
Packing a Punch
Your website is the one thing that defines you and your business and
has the potential to draw the entire virtual world to your products or
services. How important is it? Well, I just recently had mine redone,
and I immediately starting gaining more clients. Also, because I added
a more professional edge to my site, I started getting clients who were
a higher caliber and who paid more!
Here are a few pointers I think you might find useful:
__The First Glance - Hook Them!! Keep in mind that the first thing
listed in the main body of your site should be the best you offer. The
main thing you are bringing people to the site to see. It has to
clearly state what is it you want to sell, offer, feature, etc. Go look
at your site, have you done it?
__Buttons That Tell & Sell - Those side and top buttons—you need to
clearly set up so that people want to click on them and find out more.
Also, you need to have these labeled correctly so they know what they
are clicking on to see. That name is critical to making them take the
time to check out that page.
__Bullet Power- Clients often skim sites and rarely read through the
entire site. They look for items that interest them. If you list
paragraph after paragraph, it won’t get read. Think back, do you read
those paragraphs. I don’t! Therefore use bullets or symbols instead.
And try the slanted bullets or a different bullet style for more eye
appeal.
__Chose Your Words Wisely - Every word on your site should say
something important. Absolutely you need to use keywords, but you also
need to use convincing words to sell you and your business. Don’t get
so caught up in keywords that you lose the focus of the site. Write the
text, edit and delete, and repeat that last step over and over until
you have it just right.
__Convenience -- Clickable Links -- In the body of the website itself,
whenever you are providing a reference to a site, make sure you have a
clickable link, even if you have it on the side panel. People often
won’t take the time to go look for the button, so make it easy for
them.
__Colors Are Cool -- Match your colors to your business and you. I just
started another new site http://www-Publicity-VA.com and added my
favorite colors to it. It has a softer feel and look to it and yet
still has the professional edge I need for virtual assisting.
__Front Page Magic – Offer Something FREE - On your front page, it
helps to offer something for FREE. I offer a free booklet on obtaining
clients in a pdf format. How about a free 10 ways to do whatever it is
you do? That sort of thing. Let people long after they leave your site
remember you and want to come back to you with their money and business.
__Contests - Come One- Come All -- Yes, we know they work. They get
people to your site and that adds to your traffic. But, here’s a tip to
make them really successful. Follow-up each response with a personal
e-mail. Now, the key is not making it a hard sale sales letter they
will never read. Instead, a “Hi, thanks for entering the contests, I’m
sorry you did/didn’t win, but I’m ...” And then give them something
special, including a coupon off of your services. Make them feel
special.
__Newsletter -- List your newsletter on numerous pages if not all. This
is what is going to be reconnecting you to your clients and potential
clients.
__The Eyes Have It - I strongly suggest you have another friend or
business associate view your site and offer opinions. It’s incredible
what they can see that you don’t as you are too close to it.
__Eyes -- Take Two -- Right now, stop and check out your site. Have you
looked at it from a potential client’s viewpoint? What did you think?
Did it clearly define you and what you offered? Did it spark your
interest?
I hope these tips help you to get the virtual edge you need for your business. Good luck!
Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual
Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and
Words From Home, Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word
Processing Business. She specializes in publicity and book marketing
and is president of Virtual Word Publishing www.virtualwordpublishing.com and www.Publicity-VA.com