Discover the Simple Web Design Errors that Sabotage Your Sales

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by Andy Wallis

Although the actual content of your Web site is the most important factor in making sales, you will find that your sales can and quite possibly are being sabotaged by simple web design errors.

Look at it this way * your web site is the only thing that your potential customers are able to judge you by. It is your store, your face, your advert, your brochure and much more.

If it does not inspire confidence and demonstrate your professionalism, competence and personality, you are dead in the water.

In order that your web site is not sabotaging your sales let's discuss the things you need to avoid.

1. Don't make your introduction page nothing more than your company logo * this just wastes your prospect's time. Remember, your competition is only a click and there is nothing worse than having to wait 45 seconds for a stupid logo to download that is of no interest to them whatsoever.

2. Make sure ALL links on your site are CLEARLY marked. Don't assume that everyone knows that some pictures are links * they quite often don't so tell them!

3. Don't assume everyone knows what a FAQ is * they don't so instead of putting FAQ write 'Frequently Asked Questions'.

4. Don't make it difficult for a prospect to find your order page. Place links on every page, including your main page. While we are on the subject of ordering, provide as many ways to order and be as reassuring as possible.

5. State clearly at the top of every page what the page is about and what it contains.

6. Lose those annoying jerky animations. Are you trying to sell your product or dazzle your prospect with the cutesy images? Most images have nothing to do with what you are trying to say and simply distract your prospects attention from your sales copy. This results in another lost sale!

7. Lose the funky backgrounds. These are another distraction and most backgrounds, however slight make it harder to read your ad. The easiest combination to have is black text on a white background. Backgrounds can be used to spice up your text on the left-hand side but make sure your main body is black text on a white background * break this rule AT YOUR PERIL!

8. Are you products organised so that they make sense? The best design for your web site is to promote your strongest product or service 100% and then offer links to your other products. You will find that it is difficult enough to sell your prospects your best product. So don't confuse them by giving them too many choices.

9. Guarantee prompt delivery of your product. In this age of the Internet, everyone expects everything now! Offer to send products out within 24 hours of delivery. If you offer a software product why not offer to email it to them immediately or offer an instant download. The quicker you can promise to deliver the product, the quicker your prospects will be willing to buy from you.

10. Think twice what sites you link to. I suggest that you only link to sites that you'd be proud to associate with. Would amazon.com have a link to a porn site at the bottom of their site? I hardly think so * your prospects will judge you on what you have on your site so don't put them off unnecessarily.

Whilst we are on the subject of links * does your site consist of nothing but links to other sites? There is nothing wrong in doing this (although there is more profit potential in selling your own products * but that's the subject of another article). Instead, why not include an introductory paragraph about yourself? Explain who you are and give reasons why you recommend the products/services you are offering.

Say how much success you have had with them, what they have done for you and how much the reader will love them and why they cannot do without them. Failure to do this will result in you getting no sales.

You have got to build confidence with the prospect * why should they believe you? Offer them free info, free reports, free anything to make them think you are a kind and generous person and that you are indeed trying to help them.

Then when you have gained their trust tell them "By the way, I have found this great marketing package / software program / kids toy / diet pill / whatever * that really helped me out. I highly recommend it. Click here to check it out!"

So, are you sabotaging your sales? If you are, implement these points today and turn your web site into a profit center.