Business people: the point of your website is to get
business, make money.
Is your faulty web design sabotaging these crucial objectives?
Let's take a quick look at what a profitable website MUST
contain. Then compare this to what you've actually got.
#1: Your website must focus on capturing email addresses
Most people don't buy the first time they learn about something,
even something they like. That's why the #1 objective of your
website MUST be to capture the all-important prospect email
address.
When you've got this information, you've got what you need to
follow-up, stay in touch, and keep building your relationship
with this prospect, so you get the sale.
Because this objective is soooo important you should make it
important with flash design. For an example, click here
http://www.internetmarketbiz.com This smart owner is building his
all-important email list by making the acquisition of prospect
email his #1 priority using eye-popping flash! Or visit this
incredible illustration of how to capture e-mail details using flash:
http://www.dreamcruises4u.com/#2 Stuffing your home page with way too much information
The objective of your home page should be to channel people to
where you want them to go. Unfortunately, the amateur web
designer who thinks "more is better" overloads the home page,
reasoning that the prospect will take her time to read through
everything until she finds what she wants. Unfortunately,
this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how people use the net.
What people want is a site that immediately directs them to what
they're looking for. They don't want to wade through an extra word --
not even one. They want quickly to know what you've got and what
they have to do to get it. Your home page, therefore, should provide
a series of easy directional signals. For an example, visit
http://www.worldprofit.com This is a multi-million dollar company,
but look how few words they use to capture the visitor's attention
and direct him. A prospect visiting this site wastes no time!
#3 Loading the site with slow-loading graphics
The Internet is about getting information fast. When you slow down
the process, you sabotage your own marketing. One of the ways people
slow it down is by loading their website with slow-loading graphics.
Every second your prospect has to wait his impatience and frustration
build... and that is NEVER good for business.
Use graphics by all means but use graphics which are fast loading
and which highlight, emphasize and reinforce your client-centered
message. Again, look at the simple, fast-loading graphics at
http://www.worldprofit.com#4 No attempt to discern what the prospect wants
Most websites are about the owners of those sites. They are
egotistical, making the prospect work to discover what that owner
has that will benefit him. The extent to which you make it difficult
for the prospect to know what you've got and how she'll be better off
using what you're selling is the extent to which you're killing your
sales.
Instead, you should take every opportunity to ascertain just what
the prospect wants. How can you find out? Use a questionnaire like the
one you'll find at
http://www.homebizedge.com A questionnaire like
this gives the prospect the opportunity to tell you what she wants, so
that you can respond with just the appropriate information.
About the Author
Dr. Jeffrey Lant is Co-Founder and CEO of Worldprofit, Inc. at
http://www.worldprofit.com To subscribe FREE to his online business-
building newsletters, go to
http://www.worldprofit.com/ezinesFor his Sure-Fire Business Success Catalog, visit
http://www.jeffreylant.com 
