fashion illustrators websites
fashion illustrators websites
How To Supercharge Your Website
I am often asked "Jason, I get people to my website, but nothing
happens. What am I doing wrong?" Is this you? Did you build a
website only to have people come and leave? If so, you can still
save your website. By following some tried and true rules, your
website can become supercharged and be all that you envisioned.
First, we need to dispel one myth. The Internet amazes almost no
one anymore. When I started in the early 1990's it was a whole
different story. Today, the Internet is a major force in our
lives. Instead of saying things like "Wow! Look at that!" we are
saying "Been there, done that." However, some people know this
and go to the wrong extreme by over complicating their website.
Rule One: You are not an artist.
Ok, maybe you are, but you still don't need to use every
available color and font in the known universe on your website.
Take a look at any newspaper. How many colors and fonts do you
see? Many are black and white print with a splash of color here
and there. Their type is sure and steady. The USA Today is one
of the more colorful papers out there and even they don't go
nuts with color.
If your website is a visual car wreck, your visitors will end up
leaving. Your website could look like a piece of art, but if the
message gets lost, it is a waste of space. Keep your colors
simple and pleasing to the eye. If you look at some of the most
successful websites, you will notice they usually have a simple
color scheme.
Rule Two: Your website is not a puzzle.
Have you ever been to a website for the first time and seen
information all over your screen? If so, you most likely felt
overwhelmed and you probably left. Here is a fact. The more
orderly your website is in regards to content layout, the more
focused your visitor will become on the content. Content that is
not in an orderly fashion is sometimes coined as "hip", but the
end result is a less focused visitor.
Does this mean you need a plain boring website? Of course not.
However, due care is warranted when laying out content. I would
like to direct your attention to the newspaper again. Most
newspapers use grids to layout their content. Look at the
newspaper. Even though it has a wealth of information, you feel
right at home. This is the same effect your website should have.
Spend the extra time and figure out how you can best lay out
your content. Always design with the first time user in mind.
Keep navigation as a top concern. You don't need fancy flash
buttons and other doodads. If the visitor can not use your
website with ease and minimal distractions, all is lost.
Rule Three: Keep your focus.
How many websites have you went to that spend valuable homepage
space welcoming you to the website? Think about this for a
moment. Why is this necessary? What could be put into its place?
When a new user goes to your website, you have literally seconds
to interest them enough so they stay. Do you want to waste that
valuable time with a welcome message?
When you turn on TV to watch your favorite show, does the show
start off by welcoming you to Channel X and Show X? Of course it
doesn't. The whole point of this section is to illustrate just
how important space is. You do not have the luxury of time to
have fluff on your website. Your ad copy (text/images) must be
lean and mean.
Another common mistake I see on ecommerce oriented websites is
the whole "who we are" speech on the homepage. When a new
visitor comes to your website, they don't care who you are. They
care about what you can do for them. Keep your focus on the
visitor's needs and not your own. Before you spend time talking
about yourself, you need to give the visitor a reason to care.
Because of this, it is best to put all your text about your
company on other pages. There is nothing wrong with putting a
blurb about your company on the homepage, but it should be
limited and to the point.
If you find yourself at wits end, it is time to call in the
experts. My company, MarketJunction.com, can help you. Are there
more than three rules you ask? Yes, but I selected three very
important ones for you in this article. My website,
JasonAMartin.com, has more informative articles. Follow these
three rules and you will be well on your way to a supercharged
website.
Copyright 2005 Jason Andrew Martin LL
About the Author
Jason A. Martin is a Journalism major and has over a decade of
successful Internet business experience. His informational
articles can be found at http://www.JasonAMartin.com. He owns
http://www.MarketJunction.com , a marketing company that
specializes in copywriting
The Way You Look Tonight, Chris Botti
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