1) Content is King don't use splash pages
Splash pages are often the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They often have serene inviting images and other times it's where they start promoting their products at you. Words like "welcome" or "click here to enter" are often displayed on these pages to try and give the website a bricks and mortar feel. In fact, they are just another page on your website which is offering NO VALUE to your potential customers and so gives them a decision, to click ENTER or BACK. Many people out their will click back and they're gone forever.
Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the "back" button! Give them the value of your site up front, always over deliver with the content on your front page so as to entice your customers to come in and look around.
2) Give first, sell later
People online today are getting more and more internet savvy and they understand about clickable banners, affiliate links and the like. So DO NOT try selling on your front page and do not load your page up with promotions or you will just put people off. Apart from the fact that you reduce the space to provide good valuable content you will give the impression that you view your customers as walking credit cards and nobody likes this.
Instead, provide more valueable content than ads on your site make sure that all your links are relevant to your content, so that your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.
3) K.I.S.S keep- it-simple-stupid
Make sure your site is simple an easy to navigate. If your website looks confusing or is hard to navigate people will simply leave. we have many of the older generation coming online now as well as millions of others who can surf the web but are not computer literate.
So this means if your site looks hard all these people will leave and find a site that is easier to navigate.
4) Remember most of your customers don't know they want to buy
When the internet was launched it was billed as "the information web" and was supposed to give people access to FREE information. OK so we've come along a bit but many many people out their only ever intend to get free information from the net. So can we convert these people into customers? of course. All you need to do is "GIVE THEM FREE INFORMATION" because after all that's what they are after. If you over deliver on GOOD free information you will build a relationship with your customers and they will trust you more than someone who is just sell, sell, sell.
They may not buy from immediately but when they are ready to part with their hard earned cash they will remember you.
5) Personalise your site
When you build your website let your customers know who you are. Post a picture of yourself and a short bio, let people know what part of the world your from and what you want to achieve from your website. You could have a feedback or comment section to make people feel like they are a part of your website, and also if they post a comment they are more likely to come back to your site to check other comments and responses.
So let people know who you are so that they can build a relationship with you and your website.
In Closing
So when building your website treat your customers like you would want to be treated. Over deliver on good free content. Don't go the hard sell or you will alienate people. k.i.s.s make sure your grandmother could navigate your website, and let your customers know who you are and that their is a real person behind your website.
And most important of all HAVE FUN
