There’s all kinds of helpful information on the Internet about how to build your website, so we thought now would be a good time to give you just a little more. Let me share with you some of the secrets of having a website…
First of all, people surfing the web are generally in a hurry. You have between 3 and 7 seconds to engage and capture your visitor before they hit the back button and go elsewhere, so optimize your load time on your pages, avoid those large annoying graphics, compress whenever possible, and use flashy technology like streaming video/audio minimally.
With that in mind, start with the simple things. Become proficient with those and then think about how you can improve on that. Don’t worry if your first attempt at web building isn’t overly impressive.
If you sell products/services that your visitor is going to find using the search engines, you need to make sure that the first thing they see when you arrive on your site is those items.
Also, if you sell products or services, you will need a secure shopping cart so that you can accept credit card payments.
As Tony Robins says,
Success leaves clues.
Look for popular sites and use them as a model. They don’t have to be related to what you do. What you are looking to do is incorporate into your website what those bigger more powerful sites and learn from them. We aren’t saying that you should be a copycat, but we are saying you should learn from the “best.”
If you opt to hire a professional to do the build on your site because it’s complicated, you need to keep in mind that these programmers are in most cases not graphic designers, so consider having a graphic designer on your team too, as well as a copywriter for content.
You must never violate the trust of those visitors that come to your site. Respect their privacy, don’t sell their email addresses, don’t spam them, don’t use annoying pop ups, and don’t bombard them with ads. Give them a clear, concise message about what your privacy statement is. That’s how you build credibility. Provide contact information that is legitimate, and list your location.
If you use content that comes from another website (picture, video, content) make sure you have their permission and that they are given the appropriate credit. If you do not, you could find yourself sued. For more info, check out “Are You Stealing Images?”
There you have it – some of the common sense thoughts about running a successful website.
very informative post & much needed for me as I am goint to start new website & these tips are useful Plus yes i use images from net but which is not under copyright protected & proper credits 🙂
Glad to hear you are doing things correctly! Check out this article for more info on images: https://digitalmaestro.com/unknowingly-stealing-images/
Thanks for the great info Paul!
You are welcome, Martha!
Do you have suggestions on the best and easiest way to reduce image load time?
Check out: WordPress Load Times II – that should help!
Paul, always to see what “good” websites look like and “model” them! Great tip!
Why reinvent the wheel! Find something that works, and emulate! Thanks, Anne!
I totally agree with your post, Paul. In the Internet age, and the “I want it now” generation, we need to be available quickly when someone clicks on the link.
And what better to model yourself after than a site that’s popular and successful.
Permissions and attributions are a must!
Amen! Thanks, Jane!
some very useful info – I am pretty new at this and will try and work out how to incorporate it into my website! cheers
That is great! If you have questions as you move ahead, let me know, Shalini!
I love the fact that you highlighted the fact that a copywriter and designer are vital for a website apart from a programmer. Most clients believe that copywriting is not a specialised job and ‘anyone’ can write copy. I really hope that you do a piece on the importance of understanding how to write for the web. Looking forward to reading more such posts as part of UBC.
Well, Mayura, I think *anyone* can write copy. That is a true statement. However, not everyone can write GOOD, QUALITY content that others will want to read! Although it is not super targeting to the importance of understanding how to write for the web, https://digitalmaestro.com/?s=writing will give you many articles on writing.