10 tips for web success

The most important job of the webmaster is to increase his traffic and make customers / visitors return. Building the site is one thing, but simply building and publishing a website does not guarantee traffic. In fact, a website could be beautiful and an example of the latest technology and still not attract a single visitor if it is not promoted properly.

(1) Internet is a new medium.

At least compared to printing, it is. A website is a waste if you simply re-encode something that could be easily printed. Do not let the site be just an online brochure. Install features that take advantage of the Internet as a means of communication. Filter information for them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with functions such as forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact.

(2) Treat customer time as valuable.

When a person visits your website, he has his attention at that time. You need to use it or you will lose it, fast. Most visitors have short attention spans, which you need to design the home page of your site to get their attention and give them what they are looking for immediately. It is like entering a restaurant. If you enter and stop there and nobody comes to greet you, you will wonder what is happening. But, if the hostess comes and greets you immediately and accompanies you to a table, then you will be there for a while and eat. The same analogy applies to websites. Do not complicate too much the home page of your website. The best results will be obtained if you make it very clear where to click to find what you need.

(3) Design the site for customers, not for the company.

Your site needs to meet the needs of customers, not the company. Therefore, do not post content that is not really useful for the site client. And avoid advertising hype about the company. Inflates the company's ego more than it helps its client.

(4) Involve the visitor.

Keep the visitor involved and make him feel like a valuable taxpayer. Actively ask for comments and suggestions. Request communication from your visitors and respond that communication quickly. When you get that communication, capture your email address. This will allow you to communicate with them long after they have moved and forgotten you.

(5) Keep it updated.

You need to have content on your website that is timely and relevant to the client's life. Publishing news for a month is not interesting. Publishing information about dry products that never changes is not interesting. Yes, you must have product information and other information on your site that does not change much, but you can also post more timely content. You can, for example, publish content about how your products can be used in certain life situations. Provide advice and techniques, things that are immediately applicable and solve a problem.

(6) Pay attention to the shape / design.

Some sites simply exaggerate it in visual appeal. Great graphics simply by impressing often impress the site designer more than the visitor. Remember, some visitors can still access your website through dial-up access. Your site needs to load quickly for all users. A slow website will make your users leave quickly. Also, pay attention to graphic and design size. Many web designers operate with quite large screen resolutions and sometimes forget that even if a graphic looks good to you, someone with a smaller resolution will find it huge. On the other hand, don't be too light with graphics. A site that is poorly designed and that uses the default font and has no color is not very aesthetically pleasing. Any web visitor, admit it or not, judge your company by its website unless you have something else to do. A well designed site communicates professionalism. A poor design makes the site look like a late occurrence.

(7) Promote.

When a visitor communicates with you by email, it is better to use a web form. Not only will this prevent your email address from being picked up by spammers, but it will also allow you to request your email address from your customers and then store that address for later use. Use the "push / pull" marketing strategy. A visitor who enters your website is the attraction, but then you want to send them content in the form of a newsletter or other promotional material. Start a mailing list and use it. Invite visitors to register.

(8) Do not operate in a cocoon.

Internet is a medium shared by millions. When setting up your website, do not operate as if it were an autonomous island. Get out and stay up to date on what happens on other websites related to yours. Participate in forums. Post links to other websites and request a link in return. Form partnerships with other sites if appropriate. Hiding behind a general email address such as "sales" and "information" is fine as long as there is a way to send an email directly. A company site that allows direct email to management is good. Just remember how much you hate calling a company and getting stuck in your phone system. Sometimes you just want to talk to someone. Give your visitors that ability.

(9) Have a plan to attract repeated traffic.

Use newsletters, outgoing emails, contests, forums, clubs, auctions, anything that causes people to return to your website. When posting links to other websites, don't just send your visitors to another place. They may never come back. Provide them with an exit page. Give them a pop-up window when they try to leave your site. Or at least make external links open in a new window.

(10) Track your visitors

Pay attention to your site statistics and react accordingly. What do people read? How are they finding you? Do they come and go directly from your homepage? How long are they on your website? Are they coming back? These data are immensely valuable to adjust your website based on the needs and wishes of the client. Remember, the biggest mistake of any webmaster is to design the site for what THEY want. A successful website is designed for the target audience, not to impress the site owner.