The First Impression is Your Last

Has a stranger ever asked you out on a date based on your personality? Would you go to a job interview in your lawn-mowing clothes? No way! The same concept applies to websites. No matter how stellar your services may be, the Internet is still a visual place where businesses rise and fall on first impressions. You’ve got to catch your customers’ eye and keep their attention before you can ever hope to earn their patronage. Take pride in the the aesthetics of your website, so customers are more inclined to stay longer, continue reading, and get to know your product in more detail. There is perhaps no business investment with greater returns than a professional website that is well-designed and easy to navigate.

Here are a few useful tips on polishing up your online identity:

• Develop well-written content with relevant information, removing all extraneous, outdated content. If your budget allows, consider hiring a professional editor to keep your content in sync with your customer’s needs.
• Make effective use of your website’s real estate. Position your content strategically to enhance usability, accessibility, and intrigue.  Navigational tactics like promotion clickthroughs and teaser links can maximize general information consumption with minimal space.
• Pay for professional graphics. Never let your website feel like a business report or a research paper.  Choose dynamic and vibrant images that are relevant to the goals your customers will hope to achieve with the Cloud.
• Discover the “Carewords” that will move your audience to take action.  A link to the bland and leisurely world of “More Information” is far less tempting than an urgent, concrete, results-oriented invitation to “Sign Up In Minutes” or “Increase Profits Today” with a single click of the mouse.