Websites That Sell

By Tracy Needham


Your website should be the hub of your marketing efforts. Everything you put out-from business cards to flyers to the signature line in your email to even your voice mail recording-should be driving people to your website so they can find out more about you.

The good news is you DON'T need an expensive site with a lot of bells and whistles that some designers would try to talk you into. You just need a site that looks professional and has good copy. Here are a few guidelines to consider for creating a website that gets results:

Keep It Simple. Skip the flashy intro pages-take them straight to your website. Use fewer columns, and streamline your navigation tabs. Each page should have one goal-one action or decision you want the reader to make. Too many choices just confuses and distracts the reader, and there are already enough distractions to lure them away.

Layout. Shrink those huge headers-they are taking up valuable retail space. The goal is to get the headline and as many important elements of the copy as possible "above the fold" (i.e. on the page without having to scroll). People tend to scan web pages so bullets are great for organizing key points. In fact, a recent Marketing Sherpa study found that people's eyes tend to go to the bullet points first-even before the headline. Finally, an opt-in box for your email newsletter should go as close to the upper right-hand corner of the page (without scrolling) as possible.

Copy. All web copy though should be chunked into short sections-one-sentence paragraphs may have been a no-no in English class but they're completely acceptable on the web. Use subheadings and highlight key items with a different font colors, bolding, or italics. And if the goal of the page is to sell a product or service, keep in mind that the more expensive something is, the more copy you need to convince people to buy or take the next step.

Fonts. There is a reason why black font on a white background (and blue for web links) is a classic-it's also the most readable. Skip the fancy cursive or otherwise ornate fonts. And don't even think about using reversed text (white font on a black or dark background) for anything important. It's hard to read and consumers also tend to perceive it as less trustworthy than standard text

Graphics. There should definitely be a photo of you somewhere on the site. Marketing Sherpa also found it's better to have no photo than a stock photo, and it's better to have a boring yet relevant photo (like a blah headshot) than a more exciting image that doesn't directly tie into the product or service.

Call-to-Action or Button. Every page should end with something for the reader to do, even if it's just a "Next" to guide them through your site. And make it big and obvious. If you're using a button (e.g. shopping cart or ezine sign up) use one that actually references the action being taken-such as "Sign Me Up" or "Add to Cart." The plain-old "Submit" seems to get fewer takers.

Of course, the work shouldn't end once the website is up. Fresh updates and content give people a reason to go back and also help your search engine rankings. So consider it more as a work that's always in progress.

Tracy Needham, founder of Compelling Communications, LLC, helps small business owners boost their business through compelling copy and marketing strategies that make the most of their time and money. Sign up for her FREE Special Report: The One Press Release You Can Write to Get Thousands of Dollars Worth of Free Publicity at http://www.compellingezine.com

(c) 2008 Tracy Needham

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