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How to make your site more effective, part
4
High search engine rankings are important to get high quality
targeted traffic to your Web site. However, a high ranking
alone is not enough.
Many webmasters have the problem that their visitors don't
buy something on their site even if the way the visitors reached
the site indicates that they're interested in the products.
For that reason, we're going to tell you in a 5-part series
what you can do to improve the effectiveness of your Web site.
PART 4: Make your Web site easy to navigate and guide Web
surfers through your pages
Last week, we've told you how to write good sales copy to
convince Web surfers. This week, we're telling you how to
direct your visitors to the right (order) pages.
1. Keep it simple, stupid (KISS)
Your navigation must be easy to understand. People must
be able to find your links and they must know how to use
them.
To achieve this goal, your navigation (and your whole Web
page design) must be consistent from page to page. It's
a good idea not to reinvent the wheel. Blue underlined text
links work best as everybody knows how to use them.
Even if you have an image map (a picture with links) or
navigation icons (see below), you should always have text
links on every page. Some users turn off the display of
images in their Web browser. They need text links, as well
as the search engines which cannot index text on images.
Don't use Flash/Shockwave to design the navigation of your
Web site since many users cannot access them.
2. Design navigation icons wisely (if you must use them)
Many people use little graphics or photos that link users
to their pages as navigation elements. These navigation
icons are offten unnecessary.
If your icons don't denote by themselves what the page
stands for, don't use them. For example, don't use a meaningless
icon like a smiley for a link to your contact page.
3. Use descriptive text links
Your visitors want to know what they can expect on the
other end of the link before they click on it. Use descriptive
link texts so that your visitors know what they get when
they click on a link.
For example, the link text to your contact page should
be called "Contact us" or "Contact information".
This is what users expect and what they know. Don't experiment
with texts like "Our address" or "Tell us".
4. Guide your visitors through your site
It's important that you guide people through your site.
Don't give them too many choices. That will only confuse
them.
Make sure that your visitors don't have to search for your
important "download" or "order" links.
Make it easy for your customers. If you have several support
pages on your site, you don't have to list them all on your
index page. A single link to your main support page is enough.
You can link to all other support pages on your main support
page.
Don't link to other Web sites on your index page. People
have finally managed to come to your Web site. Don't send
them away by placing outgoing links on your index page.
Links to other Web sites are an important way to make your
Web site more valuable for customers and for getting reciprocal
links from other sites. However, use an extra "links"
or "resources" page for outgoing links and open
outgoing links in a new window.
Be sure that you customers can find what they're looking
for on your site and that they don't have to search for it.
Make a test with a relative or a friend who is a bit unsure
surfing the Web. Tell him or her to find out the price of
your product or service. Look over his/her shoulder and find
out how people can find ways you've never dreamt of. :-)
Your Web site navigation should be easy to understand and
it should be consistent throughout your whole Web page. If
people cannot find what they're looking for quickly and easily,
they will leave your Web site.
In the next issue, we're going to finish this series by giving
you tips on how to simplify your ordering process.
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