Why do some websites sell better than others? Do you need a marketing
degree to create a website? Does design have much impact on sales or is web copy
the all important key to your websites success?
You may not realize this but many successful internet marketing
businesses have found that design, or layout of a website should be a
marketing decision based on research done by internet marketers, not
designers. Some very basic websites actually sell much better than
their “Flashy” counterparts.
This is in no way a negative reflection of the incredible talent that website
designers have. You will clearly have a much more professional looking
site when an expert applies his handiwork. However, it is very important
to understand some of the key elements that smart marketers will make
certain to appear (or NOT appear) on their highly profitable sites. If you
are aware of these you may be able to select a designer who is
knowledgeable in marketing as well as design.
Designers with a flair for color can make compelling choices that set a
mood, but reading on a computer screen demands as much contrast as
possible, otherwise the reader will have vision fatigue. You don”t want to
irritate your visitors in any way or they may leave, so be certain that the
main body of your website copy is black writing on a white background,
or as close to that ideal as possible.
Colors also look different on different monitors, so what looks cool and
calm on one monitor may be bright and glaring on another. Make sure
you check your color scheme on at least the most popular monitors.
In most cases, simple works best.
Striking, bold graphics can be a real eye-catcher for visitors. Still,
internet marketers are pretty much unanimous in stating that you should
avoid flash graphics as much as possible. Again, they tend to tire visitors
eyes, make the page load slowly, or create a distraction from the written
copy. Even if they are initially impressed by the work it may subconsciously
annoy them. Simplicity is again the best way to go.
The first “fold” of your site is similar to opening a traditional paper
letter. If you remove a letter from an envelope that is folded in three,
you will obviously view the top “fold” first.
This fold is what individuals will see without having to scroll down the page.
It”s extremely important that elements like descriptive headlines, your
contact number, newsletter subscription form etc. all show in the first
fold. Do NOT place banners here unless they are the main element of your
business as you will be giving prime space to other websites and your
customer (which you fought hard to get in the first place) will be gone
just as quickly.
These are just some of the important elements you should be aware of
when looking for someone to design your site.
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