Most people surfing the Internet don't read carefully; they scan and
click. Once you've attracted a visitor to your home page, you have just
seconds to help him decide where to click next: deeper into
your site -- or away to a different site.
Previous articles have discussed methods of targeting
your desired audience and making your Web site credible.
Today the focus is on enabling your site to work for your
company or organization. It should get tangible results. A generic "online
presence" simply doesn't cut it anymore.
In order to create a hard-working site, follow these three steps:
- Define its primary purpose
- Offer a clear call to action
- Eliminate any element that distracts from the primary
purpose or the call to action
These steps should have a direct effect on every aspect of your site
-- and should be immediately evident on the home page.
Define the primary purpose of your site. Do
you want to open a channel of communications that will lead to a business
relationship? Attract customers or clients to a physical location? Offer
a public service or in-depth information? Solicit donations to a charity?
Sell products online? These are just some of the goals Web sites can
have. Be very specific about what you're trying to achieve.
Offer a clear call to action. Each
of the purposes mentioned above requires tailoring a different approach.
Too many sites present some boilerplate
text and photos, but don't actually tell visitors what action they want
them to take. As soon as visitors stop and wonder where to go or what
to do, you've already lost them.
For example, if you want site visitors to come to a bricks-and-mortar
store or office, prominently display your business hours, address, phone
number, and, ideally, a map on the home page. Say, "Visit us!" If
you want them to sign up for a newsletter, with the intention of forging
an ongoing relationship, offer the sign-up on the home page with words
like: "Sign up for our newsletter!" For an e-commerce
site, feature a few key products on the Home page and make the "shopping
cart" obvious. Alongside each product have links to "Buy
now" and "View catalog."
A certain degree of redundancy helps. The call to action should be offered
in the main menu, within the text, and at the bottom of the page. And
don't forget to keep offering it on the inner site pages as well.
Eliminate distractions. Anything that doesn't
help, hurts. Each visual and textual element should support the call
to action and reinforce the purpose of the site. For example, a multimedia
designer's online portfolio can certainly feature an exquisite Flash
movie on the home page; it demonstrates artistic abilities, serving the
primary purpose of the site. But if a site markets wholesale automotive
supplies, subjecting visitors to a 30-second splash page featuring swirling
versions of the company logo is not useful -- and therefore harmful.
Much more effective would be a clean, clear index of the products available,
with instructions on how to order them and perhaps testimonials from
satisfied customers. Visual effects should not obscure these features.
If they do -- get rid of them.
Try to view your site from your target audience's perspective. Offer
the services your customers want -- and then make sure they're easily
obtainable. Your visitors will thank you!
Resources:
Do you have any questions about the design, maintenance or promotion
of Web sites? Contact
me and I'll try to answer them in upcoming articles.
