How many of you have visited a web site and noticed the "Current News" was from July 1998? Or seen a blank space where an image was suppose to load? Not usually too enticing. We all want to see current news, updated listings or prices, and the latest picture on the sites we visit.
To stay in front of the competition you want a web site that is interactive, up-to-date, functional, and easy to use. Most Internet users are impatient and looking for solid information. You want to hold their attention with solid content, a smooth flowing site, and interactivity.
Here are few ideas to enhance your site:
Looks do matter. Your web site reveals everything about your business ñ well, almost everything. A poorly designed web site is a lot like using scratch paper for a business card. You want people attracted to your site visually as well as intellectually.
Old Content = Bad Content. Make sure your site content is unique and changing. The most powerful method of providing fresh content is a web-based database. A database will enable you to manage large amounts of data easily ñ displaying the most recent content and hiding the out-of-date information. Most importantly a database driven site enables you to add content automatically.
Nobody likes to wait. If your site loads too slowly you will lose people. Nobody enjoys watching ìdead airî. Internet surfers are particularly impatient. Check your HTML code, minimize the use of images, and optimize the size of your images.
Make your site sticky. Surveys, Deals of the Week, News of the Day, Quizzes, Tips of the Day, Discussion Boards, Web Logsí, Coupons, and Jokes of the Day are all ways to draw people back to your site. Find the ones that fit for your site and use them effectively.
The New Year is a great time to revisit your site: its content, load-time, stickiness and look. Why are people visiting your web site? They want information. They are searching. And they are usually in a hurry. Is your site ready?
Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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