The Good, The Bad And The Just Plain Out There - The Mysterious World Of Websites

The Good, The Bad And The Just Plain Out There - 

The Mysterious World Of Websites

Here’s the thing.

Creating an effective website is not rocket science. (Unless you work in rocket science.) Run a search on the magical internetwebtube and you’ll find countless posts and articles on how to do it.

It doesn’t seem that hard, right? It isn’t. The following link bears this out with many examples.

And YET, with all of this available information, there still exists a staggering number of websites that are simply awful. Unless, of course, you enjoy the following:

- Images and animations reminiscent of hallucinogenic-induced paranoia.
- Incoherent design, low-quality graphics and unreadable fonts that look like they were rendered by a third-grader.
- Key information buried deeper than your darkest secret.
- Difficult navigational structures that would make driving a Hummer on a tight rope easy by comparison.
- Unconventional colors that cross that thin line between “outside the box” and “irritating”.
- A lack of mobile compatibility.

Whatever the case, the world of websites is a wildly diverse one. A website can be a company’s best asset. It can also be its worst. And sometimes, websites are just plain out there.

It makes one wonder if they really want traffic. By deeming themselves immune to what works, they are immune to getting business as well.


#1. Learn your best marketing technique.

Is it search engine optimization, social media, pay-per-click advertising, PR or something else? Once you get a handle on which technique has the lowest cost-per-acquisition, i.e. how much you’ll have to spend to get the customer, you’ve got a solid foundation.

#2. Skip the dog and pony show and get some solid design.

Dancing hot dogs and flashing lights won’t do the job; unless the job is to induce acid reflux and seizures. Hire design professionals who can tailor your site to focus on a few key features from which the majority of your customers will benefit.

#3. Have answers readily available to your visitor’s questions.

Is this the right place?  
How long has your business thrived?
Are you affordable?
How can I be sure your product or services are any good?
Where can I learn more about your services and company?
How do I contact you?

#4. By the same token, know the answers to your own questions.

Don’t make the visitor think. Thinking hurts. If you’re selling a product, convince them to buy and make it easy for them. If you offer a service, let them know how and why they can benefit from it.

Do you want them to:
Call you? E-mail you? Sign-up for something? Buy your product online?

#5. Give your visitors choices for staying connected.

Determine the preferred forms of communication and give your visitors a means to stay connected: e-mail, a blog, Twitter, Facebook, RSS Feeds, smoke signals, etc. Cater to the market that best reaches them so they’ll want to come back.