If you examine the websites that are successful online, you will find four basic characteristics that set them apart from the ones that aren’t successful. Incorporating these successful elements into your website will increase its effectiveness in getting discovered and getting sales.
An Optimized Title
For Search Engine Optimization, a great page title is essential. A well-crafted title catches the internet browser’s eye and draws him in to your website. Nobody will stop to hear what you have to say – no matter how useful and interesting your content is – without an effective title.
So what is your ideal web surfer searching for? What are some of the keywords on similar sites? Generate a list of keywords that people are searching for, and attempt to use these keywords in your title. For help generating keywords, try the Wordtracker Free Keyword Tool (http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com) or Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal).
Killer Content
Web surfers have short attention spans. Your title needs to give them a compelling reason to take a peek inside your website. The content they find once they get there needs to be compelling enough to convince them to stay a while and click on some of the links that make you money.
Think about it for a second. How long do you linger on sites that don’t provide you with useful information? You can provide articles that inform, videos that entertain, or offers that entice. But a reader is going to decide within ten seconds – probably less – whether your site is worth his time. What is the reason he should stick around for a while? Make sure that reason is presented clearly and quickly to your visitors.
Easy to navigate
Think of your website like inviting people into your home. Not many people will want to stay a while if your place looks like a train wreck. Make your appearance tidy, your navigation clean and simple, and your text easy to read. If you’ve gone through to effort to craft a great title and killer content, don’t blow it by giving them an excuse to leave without clicking on your revenue-producing links.
Compelling Opt-In Box
To turn your guests into repeat visitors, offer an opt-in box with a compelling offer. In exchange for their name and email, you can provide them with a spectacular can’t-miss special discount or a mini-course of valuable information they must know to solve their problem. Make sure that what they are signing up for is clear. Tell them how often you send email. Let them know that they can easily unsubscribe at any time. You can use this list to sell products and to remind people about your website so they will return. Make sure that you’re providing something valuable and visitors will continue to return to your site for more.
Get traffic with an optimized title, keep them engaged with killer content, make it easy to navigate, and collect your visitors’ emails to remind them to return. By incorporating these four basic elements, you’ll have the ingredients you need for a successful website.
