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"How can we improve our Web site?" clients
often ask me. A winning Web site requires first developing
a sound e-business strategy, understanding your target
audiences, defining the purpose behind your Web site,
designing an effective site architecture, and developing
relevant content. Short of revamping the site, what can
you do to improve it? Start by reviewing your home page.
The home page is the most frequently
visited page for most sites. It sets the tone and creates
an expectation
in the mind of the visitor. One common mistake is offering
a splashy home page with little more than imaging effects
and the words "click to enter". This gimmick
more likely than not opens doors only to mishaps. The
graphics may fail to load, thus stranding and confusing
the visitors. Visitors may think the Web site is not
yet ready to launch, or may lose patience and leave.
Take a walk through your home page. Here is a checklist
of things to look for:
Your home page announces your Web site and your business.
Your visitors may take only a minute or two to decide
whether to stay or leave. Make the home page an effective
gateway to your Web site. Your first-time visitors will
want to know why they should invest their time, and your
return visitors will want to quickly reach the information
they came for. You can accomplish both objectives by
offering a menu of key topics, and including well-written
home page copy.
The home page copy may be in the form of bullets or
may be several short paragraphs. It should tell your
visitors what your business is, what sets you apart from
your competitors, and what your site offers. The copy
should be search engine friendly. Certain search engines
index the text in your Web site and rank your site's
relevance based on the words used in the text. So, include
key phrases important to your target audience in the
copy and provide alternate text for graphics to earn
a high relevance rating.
Make the copy click-friendly. The Web became wildly
popular so quickly largely because it allows point and
click, thanks to hypertext markup language. Take advantage
of the fluidity and flexibility of the medium. Your visitors
will want to explore in greater depth information that
is relevant to them. Write the copy to include plenty
of hypertext links to allow your visitors to move directly
to important parts of the Web site. In this way you can
let your visitors follow their thoughts and interests.
Next, consider ease of navigation. Every successful
Web site has a well-designed navigational structure based
on the information needs of its target audiences and
the desired calls for action. Will visitors be able to
easily find what they look for? Do the menu titles clearly
communicate the content? Often, companies organize their
Web sites based on their internal structure instead of
their visitors' needs, and use jargon and terminology
that may confuse outsiders. Think about your visitors'
objectives, and use terms that are clearly understandable
to them. If your Web site uses graphics for the navigational
links, be sure to include alternate text for the graphical
buttons. Better yet, also provide navigational links
within the text. Then your visitors can always find their
way around.
Can your customers easily find out how to get in touch
with you or visit your brick-and-mortar store? Include
your address, phone, and e-mail address on the home page.
If your customers visit you at your location, or you
want to attract more foot traffic to your store, be sure
to make it easy for people to find out how to get there.
One solution is to provide a direct link from the home
page to a page containing your hours, driving directions,
and a map.
Finally, do not forget metatags. Metatags are directions
hidden in the codes page for Web crawlers to index the
home page. Include a description of the site, keywords
and key phrases that your target audiences use, and a
title that is inviting and meaningful.
If you can see your home page through your visitors'
eyes, you will get a whole new view of your business.
Your home page is the front door and the display case
for your business online. It's the starting point for
every new customer and most of your returning ones. So
take a walk through it periodically. You'll quickly see
if the doorknob needs polishing.
Copyright Eva Chiu and InfoAdvantage.
E-Business
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