Getting Big Wows For Small Business Web Sites

So there are millions and millions of surfers out there on the web, and what is going to make these sailors dock their clicks on your website? Well, you have to make yourself standout, you want them to know that their stay with you will be a pleasurable one so next time they take a vacation from reality into the web they will return and bring some of their friends along for the ride. I am a bit partial to the smaller businesses, maybe because I have always considered myself an 'underdog,'- that way you can really surprise them when you make big things happen- its an intrinsic value thing, but I digress, here are a few helpful hints to making your small business site bite the heads off the big dogs' sites:

Don't Get Gaudy With Too Many Graphics

Though aesthetically pleasing (if done well), too many graphics will make your site slower to load. This does not create a positive first impression, especially considering there are a billion other web sites for surfers to consider. Use graphics when needed and use them sparingly.

Hawaiian Shirts Are Not In

Don Ho has been there and done that, he had his own sense of style, don't be a follower be a trendsetter. Think about the fly-comparable attention span of your average surfer, if your site is too busy with a thousand different links, hundreds of different fonts, and a plethora of color, chances are you are going to turn off the visitor (especially those with an eye for fashion). Keep your site eye-catching, but don't go for eye-bleeding.

Have Others Talk the Walk

There are millions of sites out there and at least hundreds of sites just like yours. You want the visitor to know others have graced your presence before and liked what they saw. Have some testimonials to spark up the interest of your site. You can also use fact sheets, news stories about the company, and Better Business Bureau seals to seal the deal.

The Location of your Information

You are who you are, be proud of it. You want the visitor to know who they are or might be dealing with, so proudly place it overtly on the site. It would be a shame if they left the site not knowing whose place they popped into in the first place.

Headline Hype

Again, the average surfer has a multitude of clicks to make, so make sure that as soon as they land, they know where they are and what the nature of their stay will be like. You got about two seconds to tie them in, so make it count.

Bores Are Indeed a Bore

STAND OUT!! Make the visitor's stay interesting, they don't know you from Adam's web site, so make a huge impact for every visitor every time. Put the work in to orchestrating an interesting and dynamic web site. Having a boring site is like throwing a gala affair, serving cheese and crackers, and having Barry and the Banal Wailers performing when you had the budget to provide lobster and strip steak along with the soothing sounds of Barry Manilow (that is a joke-but you get the idea- though Manilow jammed in his prime-not really).

Can They See the Legibility

Some people may need to hire a linguist with an eagle's eye in order to read what the content on the site actually delineates- don't be that guy. Make sure that your web site is structured in such a way that everything is easily seen and readable. Steer clear of weird font styles and small type.

Make Sure That Your "Calls to Action" Make the Visitor Do Just That

I assume you are in business to generate business. Looking pretty is good and well, but you've got to effectively produce. You don't want to bully the visitor into buying your services or products, you have to do it, but do it with style and grace. I suggest honing the art of orchestrating landing pages. Don't just take my word for it, for more information on landing a great landing page consult VendorSeek found at www.VendorSeek.com