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How to Get Your Web Site Visitors to Read and Respond
Like a newspaper or any direct response marketing piece, your web site's front page must captivate its audience and cause them to read further. It must first grab a reader's attention and then lead them to a specific outcome. However, when the mechanics of that very first page are ignored, it causes visitors to click out of the site the moment they arrive.
Every single day, your customers are bombarded with a continuous flow of information and marketing messages. The competition for their attention is exceedingly fierce. Therefore, if your site is but a silent billboard in cyberspace, it won't do you much good. You have to capture their attention so that not only do they visit deeper into your site and make purchases, but also visit your site again and again and refer your site to others.
This article focuses on content, copy, looks, and consistency that will effectively captivate your audience’s attention. Here are some basic rules to follow when designing a front page.
Be Focused
Target your market. As the saying goes, "You cannot be all things to all people." This means focusing on a specific group of visitors. Cater to their unique needs or center your site on a strong, single theme. Web sites centered on a very narrow theme will create visitors of greater interest, and will generate leads that are much more pre-qualified and apt to buy. Look at it this way: When you narrow down your message and focus on a niche, visitors will be 50 percent sold the minute they hit your first page. Naturally, it will then be up to your content (i.e., your copy, offer, and call-to-action) to take them through the remaining 50 percent. Niche marketing on the Web is particularly important since people do not have the time to sift through an entire site — let alone a search engine — to find exactly what they are looking for. If your site is unique, highly specialized, and focused, people will be inclined to surf deeper into your site once they hit the first page. Not only will the content be far more credible, but it will also be easier to lead your pre-qualified visitors to a successful outcome. Be Specific
What exactly do you want your visitors to do? Simple question, isn't it? But it doesn't seem that way with the many sites I've visited. The KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Straightforward) is immensely important. An effective web site must have a specific goal. It should have a clear objective that will lead to a specific action or outcome. If your site is not meant to, say, sell a product, gain a customer, or obtain an inquiry for more information, then what exactly must it do? Don't be vague. For instance, is your site meant to be like a résumé or billboard that only advertises the fact that you are open for business? If not, is it to generate qualified leads? Is it to sell a particular product? Is it to solicit inquiries? Is it to increase memberships? You get the picture. The mind hates confusion. Visitors can only do one thing at a time. If they have to do too many things on the front page, they will do nothing. If you want to offer a variety of different options, then try to focus on one alone and then create other pages that are each respective to a particular action. Then, link them together at the appropriate locations for flow. In essence, keep your message focused . Use one major theme and revolve your message around it. Be Clear
When you are in the process of buying a book, for instance, the one thing that attracts you is the cover (if you're not aware of the author beforehand, and even then the cover plays a key role). The proverb, "Don't judge a book by its cover" exists because we as humans have the natural inclination to do so. Newspapers capitalize on that intrinsic human behavior, which is why front-page headlines, pictures, and news articles are always carefully selected. In fact, the most read part of a newspaper is not only the front page but also the top section (or "above the fold"). Web sites are no different. The front page of your site should be treated like the front page of a newspaper. Like the cover of a book, it should entice readers to surf further into the site and not lead them to take action right then and there — unless your site is a single page. Focus on your site's major benefit "above the fold" and keep your copy to the point. Use bold, attention-grabbing headlines and sub-headlines to emphasize a major theme and the benefit your site offers. Why should a visitor surf your site? What's in it for her? Communicate to the visitor the reasons why they should browse further. A great technique for doing so is to use a bulleted list of benefits (such as when it follows the words "with this site, you get," "in this site, you will find," "by visiting this site, you will learn" or "here are the reasons why you should browse this site"). Bulleted benefit lists not only give a visual break but are also effective since they are short, to-the-point, and clustered for greater impact. Present a problem and emphasize it. Focus on an existing gap — the gap between a problem that the visitor is currently experiencing (or one that the visitor may experience without the benefits of your offer) and its solution. Then show what your site brings to the table by telling your visitors how, by surfing deeper, they will be able to fill that gap. Be Simple
Unlike the TV or radio, computers are still not considered household items. While they are well on their way, the computer and the Internet are still in their infancy. Earlier computers, less capable browsers, and slower modems are still the norm. As a result, too much background, JavaScript, frames, plug-ins, and memory-intensive graphics may work against you. Many potential sales are lost due to a slow-loading, unbrowsable web site. Your site should download fast. One marketing company found that, with their on-hold message, people start hanging up when put on hold for more than 30 seconds. The Internet is certainly no different. If they have to wait for more than 30 seconds for your page to load, visitors will leave. In short, if they have to wait, they won't. Often, people say that our society has entered the "information revolution." Not so. It's the "access to information" revolution. The ability to retrieve information in nanosecond speed is the underlying drive behind the Internet. Therefore, anything that slows that ability down (such as having a memory-intense front page), especially when compared to quicker loading competitor sites, will cost you in lost sales. Nevertheless, always keep in mind that you are allowed but a brief moment to capture your visitors' attention before they leave. Be Professional
They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Good impressions are therefore important to the degree that visitors are positively impacted by the first page. It is where the selling process actually begins. Presenting a professional image on the Internet is crucial since the computer screen is really the only thing that separates you from the visitor. Consistency, color, and content (i.e., the three "Cs") are probably the three most important elements of a repeatedly visited and often referred web site. The front page must therefore be clean, concise, and clear. It must appeal to your audience by using a language that they can easily understand. Visitors often react with hostility to a site whose message confuses them. A final caveat: The first page should not be the only one that follows the above rules. Applying most of these pointers to an entire site should be carefully considered. Needless to say, if you are able to make visitors pass through that all-important first page hurdle, then persuading them to take action later on should be a cinch. HBM John Frazier is the author of the industry’s highly acclaimed mail order marketing course, “Magazine Millionaire.” He is also an internationally known speaker and consultant. For a limited time, get a special FREE Report on how to create lifetime wealth using 100% FREE-to-run magazine advertising by visiting www.MagazineMillionaire.com or by calling 1-800-657-1320. Previously published in the June 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com |
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