Essential Elements Your Site Must Have

The more user-friendly your site is, the more sales it will bring in.

Element 1: A Headline That Gets Attention People should know right away what the main benefit of your product or service is. The headline needs to be well-written and right to the point. It should encourage the visitor to read more, not compel them to leave. For example - a chiropractor would not start out with "We have over 25 years’ experience.. blah blah blah". Instead, start with "Does Your Back Hurt?!?! Most people will answer "yes" and will read on to see how they can stop it from hurting.

Element 2: Easy to Use Navigation Have you ever been to a site and you could not figure out how to navigate it? People will often leave a site if the navigation is too confusing to use. Don’t be cutesy with your buttons - if the link takes them to products, say "products". Your navigation bar should be the same on every page of your website. Remember you are trying to sell a product or service, not showcase the latest trick your web designer just learned.

Element 3: Effective Content Choose your Website text carefully as this will be the first, and possibly only, contact you will have with a visitor. Read the copy as someone who knows nothing about your industry. Will it make sense to them? Are you using terms and abbreviations that most people do not know? Use your search terms throughout the text of your site. This will help get your site listed on search engines.

Element 4: Professional, Meaningful Pictures "A picture says a thousand words". Pictures help people to "get it". They will help them to understand your product or relate to an emotion. An HR consultant might have someone sitting at a desk looking very frustrated. Who won’t be able to relate to that? Make sure that the images look professional. We don't want any thumbs in the viewfinder or having deer antlers appearing to be coming out someone's head.

Element 5: An Opt-In Offer Getting people to your site is half the battle. Now, you need a way to stay connected. Ask them to sign up for a newsletter or special offer. By enticing them with a free 'gift', you are more likely to get their email address. Ask them to follow you on social media. Sometimes all you have to do is ask. Element 6: Testimonials Just like word-of-mouth advertising is the best, testimonials will build credibility faster than anything else. You can either create a testimonial page or better yet, splash them around the site. When possible, have a testimonial that speaks about a specific product or service on that page. Include names of satisfied clients as these add to the credibility of the testimonial.

Element 7: Call to Action People need to be told what to do and how to do it when it comes to making a purchase. Don’t just say "our products will help you clean faster". Say, "ORDER TODAY and start saving time on your cleaning". Deadlines and special offers are another great way to get them to buy right away. Oreos are not placed at the end of the aisle by accident. They are there, in your face, saying "BUY ME!". It works, doesn’t it?

Element 8: "About Us" Page About pages provide an area to share more details about your business and to build trust. This is where you tell them how long you have been in business, the awards you have won, community involvement, your mission/vision statement, etc. Pictures of staff members and owners help to make the site more personal. This page also helps to establish that you are a legitimate business and not some "Internet Company".

Element 9: Contact Page A visitor likes the product, they trust you, and they are ready to buy. They look for your phone number and can’t find it! Having a link to your "contact" page on all of your web pages ensures this does not happen. The contact page should include a mailing address, phone number, and email address. Don’t just post your email address or worse yet, only offer a form to fill out.