Web Site Design: Some Dos and Don’ts

Search engine optimization website design is one topic that resounds with contradictory advice by experts. Some say it’s best to be brief and to the point, while others swear that sales are clinched by detailed product descriptions. What is a new or unseasoned entrepreneur to do? One solution is to study other successful search engine friendly websites. Amazon.com, for example, offers both alternatives to the consumer; a brief description, a thumbnail picture and a link leading to more details about a specific book or product.

Effective search engine optimization web development and sales means a separate page for each product with a long description and picture of the product in question. This is particularly effective if your inventory is expensive or similar to many others of its kind. Remember though that a cluttered page with too much information tends to confuse visitors and make them think they cannot find what they need at your web site. The information you provide will or will not clinch a sale for you. You must mention all the salient points about your product or service on that particular page. If you are not sure how to do this, visualize the product page as a salesman promoting a product to a walk-in customer.

“Buy” or “order” buttons at both the top and the bottom of the product page are also extremely important to a successful website design. If this page is very long, additional buttons in the middle of the page might also be a good idea. Do not force customers to scroll to the bottom of the page before they can make a purchase, as it may distract them from the impulse to buy or irritate them. Make it easy for them to buy and to navigate within your site. You must always remember that your competitor is only a click away and that the search engines are always prepared to redirect your potential customers instantly to thousands of other sites selling the same type of goods and services as you.

Every customer must know the price of your product, no matter how much or how little it costs. Even the corporate customer buying for a company is saddled with a company budget. If your website design makes it too difficult to ascertain this information, your visitors will go elsewhere. You must also remember that while appearance is important, it is not the most important issue when dealing with a web design whose purpose is to sell. Links should be accessible from every page of the website and the easiest way to do this is via a navigation bar. Don’t forget an “About Us” page as well. Your customers will need to know about your company.

Follow these simple rules to successful website design. Don’t ever lose sight of your customers and your goal to always give them exactly what they want.