Give Your Website A Chance

I often wonder how serious people are when it comes to their websites. I thought that most everyone knew that the phrase "Build it and they will come" no longer applies on the internet but Im not sure how many people really believe it.

I look at sites everyday as part of my sales strategy and I cant tell you how many of them violate the obvious elements of good website design and submission.

What even amazes me more is that they cant figure out why they dont get sales or visitors.

Do yourself a favor and attempt to apply the following tactics to your site. They wont cost you a thing except a little time and effort to apply them.

** About Page **

Always include an about page on your site. Dont be afraid to tell your story and let people know who you are and how you arrived where you are.

Opening yourself up and letting people know who you are adds an element of trust. It exposes your personality, capabilities and knowledge. All factors that let your readers know you are genuine.

** Include all your contact information **

Let your visitors know that you are available. Encourage questions, email and phone calls. Include your name, address and phone number. If you can, its also helpful to place a photo on your site. Familiarity is key and it can add one more link in the ladder of trust.

** Headlines **

Create compelling headlines. Peak the interest of your readers. This is your chance to grab their attention and incite them to read on.

Dont be flashy or obnoxious. Simply tell it like it is. Capture their attention with descriptive, informative words. Get your readers involved in your information. Ask questions. Make them think.

You might be surprised to learn that just one compelling headline can bring instant sales almost overnight.

**Create your meta tags **

This is the first place I look when people tell me they arent getting visitors. I often see sites that have no title or description tag or the tags dont follow the suggested guidelines for proper setup.

Heres an example of how the tags might look for a site that sells hummingbird feeders:

Hummingbird Feeders: Shop For Hummingbird Feeders Online

You will need to do this for each page of your site. Each page needs to have its own set of tags. I also recommend focusing on one keyword per page, two at the very most. Too many keywords can confuse what your page is about.

Always make sure that your keywords are scattered throughout your text as well, however dont sacrifice good content for nonsense. Your text should be easy to read and should not sound redundant. Make your pages at least 250 words.

** Testimonials**

Solicit feedback from buyers youve had. Ask them to write a small testimonial that you can place on your site. This goes a long way to help convince your visitor that your products and services are sound.

** Linking **

Reciprocal linking is a common and effective tactic for obtaining search engine status and page rank but its also the most time consuming. It requires making contacts, following up with contacts and updating your website.

While reciprocal linking is an excellent way of establishing page rank its not the only way. Page rank can also be established by submitting your site to directories, writing articles and setting up blogs.

Dont underestimate the power of website links. Take the extra few hours a day and get your site noticed.

** Offer Guarantees *

Always offer your products with a guarantee. This is often the extra boost a buyer needs to make the purchase.

A good site will offer 100%, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantees. People rarely take advantage of such guarantees but its this statement that may tip the scales in your favor.

** Submit Your Site **

Last, but not least, dont neglect to submit your site to the search engines. Many of them are no longer free but the fees are nominal and worth the expense. Google still offers a free submit and its easy, simply type in your URL address, however make sure your meta tags include a title and description tag first.

For the free search engines I dont recommend using automated submissions. Submit them yourself taking care to compose accurate titles descriptions and keywords.