Since most companies have a website now a days, yours needs to really stand out to make an impact and deliver results. Most people, including designers, simply don't understand what makes a website effective. We're not talking about the technical things, like XHTML or CSS, but that is an issue that doesn't seem to get enough attention. Instead, we're talking about the issues that make visitors want to stay on your website and give you their hard-earned money in exchange for your product or service.
One of the first, and most important steps you can take is make sure that it's easy for your visitors to use your website. You can start off by designing it properly, focusing on design fundamentals rather than just what you like. Fuchsia and teal may be your two favorite colors in the whole wide world, but for the rest of us, they are just a visually painful combination. If you design your website on your own, have a few people who would fall into your target market take it for a test drive. Get their feedback on how it looks and functions. Also take note of how fast it loads. While you're at it, you'll want to make sure that it displays and functions correctly in all major browsers.
Your copy should be easy to read. If people have to squint to read your grey 2 point text on a black background, they will soon leave. Make sure that your copy is large enough and that is has enough contrast with the background to be legible to older visitors. If you're going to use a serif font, try to make it as large as possible because when viewed on a computer monitor, they tend to be a little more difficult to read.
Navigation is an area that seems to be pretty standard these days, but putting together a small, informal focus group to make sure that people can find their way around your site wouldn't hurt. A site map and search capabilities can dramatically improve page views too, because instead of leaving your website when they can't find something, people will have other means to find the information they need.
Finally, make sure that your visitors have multiple ways to reach you. A simple web-form isn't going to cut it. You need to give them a way to reach you via phone and mail as well. People want to know that they are dealing with real people on the other end.
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