Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Building Landing Pages That Convert - 4 Key Aspects For Designing Capture Pages

Building landing pages that convert is your primary goal when designing your capture page. The page must be focusing on one singular offer or idea. Instruct the reader what to do by means of a call to action. The action that you state defines the conversions. Any conversion means a lead of a prospective buyer to call, or even better, a sale. You will also want to do be able to measure the performance of your landing page.

Building Landing Pages That Convert - 4 Key Aspect For Designing Capture Pages

1. Design & Layout

Statistics are showing that the simple 'ugly duckling' pages convert at a much higher rate than the fancy looking colourful pages. Designing capture pages that are 'single columned' and without navigational elements work best. The only option available to the visitor should be to enter and proceed the sales funnel process.

When building landing pages that convert, you must have all key elements of your page above the fold. What does that mean? Above the fold, is the top of the page which people see on their screen when visiting. The visible elements above the fold are critical. An image of your product works best when placed to the left of the body text. A capture form works best when placed to the right of text or image. Just make sure it's all above the fold and compelling. Research has shown that visitors decide to stay or leave a page within 8 seconds!

2. Sales Copy

Writing good sales copy is an important aspect of building landing pages that convert. It's a key element for designing capture pages. The headline should deliver on the PPC ad, banner or other advertising campaign. Through the headline you let visitors know that they have landed on the right page, providing them with the info they are looking for.

Include some compelling subheads. Include the benefits to the reader - why should they buy from you? What's in it for the user. It's a fact that most internet surfers scan a page first, before deciding to read the sales copy. When you are designing capture pages, you should do the same. Scroll through your page, read the title and the subheads. Does it tell you a story? Would you want to read the page? Are you compelled?

3. Capture Forms and Buttons

Building landing pages that convert include a capture form that is short and simple. Don't ask for more info than absolutely needed. People don't usually like to give out personal information and details. I personally only ask visitors for their name and email. The phone number is optional but never required. It also helps to put some sort of privacy policy below the form that you commit and adhere to.

The buttons are another key element for designing capture pages. Words like 'submit' or 'enter' are simply not attractive nor are they compelling to the reader. Try using words such as 'Show Me The Biz', 'Buy Now' or 'Download Special Report'. Whatever you choose, use words or short phrases that exactly describes what happens when the user clicks that particular button.

4. Testing

Extremely important! I personally use the Google Website Optimizer but there are other tools available on the internet. What you want to measure is the effectiveness of all the different elements on your page and if they have the capability of converting. Success is achieved by cross testing. Try different things and improve on certain elements in your pages to increase conversions. Here is a list of all the elements you should be tweaking and testing:

- The headline

- Subheads

- Call to action

- Body text

- Button text

- Capture form design

- Graphics

It is my personal experience that through trial and error you can really double the number of your conversions, if not triple them! It is well worth your time and effort.

Designing capture pages that work is something everybody can learn, just like all the other marketing methods and techniques to promote and brand your business online to max out on profits.. Click now learn building landing pages that convert and see what is arguably named the best online internet marketing program available to date, teaching you how to market virtually and product or business, online and offline. Just fill out the form and watch the video on the next page. Just for visiting you also have the option to claim a free website.

Mike Heesen is a home business owner that is, just like you, earning a living to support his family, pay for the mortgage or rent, utilities, needs and other desires. He is a member of the world's largest online mentoring and marketing program. His main activities are helping and showing people how to learn and master the power and potential of the internet to create financial freedom. Over the last year, Mike and his team have made significant marks on the internet. You can be part of his team too. Learn effective online marketing! Go now to http://2wealth-2freedom.com.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Graphic Design Reminders For Your Website

In designing a website, you will need to learn not only the technical matters but you will also have to be creative. It will take these two for you to come up with a site that will really suit your intended readers. It is natural for you to need to know the codes that you will use for your site to work online. Web design will greatly depend on these codes as these are the main factors that can make your site available for others. As mentioned, you will also have to use your creativity. This will be the key for your site to get and maintain a hold of your audience's attention. The success of a website will depend on the number of readers that you can drive to your site. Hence, you will have to improve on it so that more readers will be interested on what your site has.

One should not forget that there is a better chance for you to get to your audience if your site is appealing to them. Aside from the content, you should also focus on the design. This can make a difference as you can be able to catch the attention of more people and drive them to browse more pages of your website. Content can keep your target audience into your site but you can improve on this chance of you can make your site visually appealing for them.

Aside from what is mentioned, there are more reasons why web design is important. If you have a site and you use it for business, it is more necessary for you to engage in the right web design process. It is important that your site looks interesting but it should also maintain a professional look. This will make your site look more credible for the site visitors and for you to have a better business out of your website. Of course your site will only work if the right codes are used so you should not also neglect that aspect of web design. With the proper codes and the right design, you will be able to catch more attention and more profit for your business.

The use of pictures can grab lots of attention. Aside from it is more interesting, you can also compress more thoughts and ideas into your site through the use of pictures. Also, it can make your site look better as it can be pleasing to the browser's eyes. It can make people want to come back to your site. Hence, if you are looking for a boost in your site, you can start with picking the right kind of pictures that are in line with the goals of your website.

Now that you know the importance of having the right web design for your site, you should not forget that the content is as important as the design. In fact, you can lose website followers if one is not right. Some searchers will no longer go back to your site if he does not see anything that he can use in it. Even if the design is outstanding, most searchers will always look for quality content. When you are able to balance these web design needs, you can definitely improve your website for your audience that you are trying to reach out for.

Amaechi is also an expert on new treatment for psoriasis.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Visitor is Knocking at Your Site

When a visitor finds your site, imagine it's like your best friend knocking at the front door. You want them to come in, make themselves at home and stick around awhile. Great web site design can make that happen. Whether you're selling a product or service, or simply providing information, you want them to feel they've come to the right place.

Imagine you're Judy, an online shopper

Imagine you're Judy, an avid shopper, and you're on the hunt for a flat screen TV, possibly 3-D. You start your search on Google by typing "flat screen TV", and your search returns over 29 million results. What are the odds Judy will look beyond the first ten results? Pretty slim! What if she typed in "3D flat screen TV?" Hey, we're down to 8 million results. Maybe she'll check out the first two pages of results.

Local relevance is important

What if Judy didn't want her new flat screen TV shipped from who knows where, and wanted to find one locally? What if she lives in Phoenix, AZ and typed in, "3D flat screen TV Phoenix AZ?" Not only will her search query be reduced to 32,000 results, the odds increase dramatically that she'll search through more results to find the TV that appeals to her. She's now very focused.What if you were selling 3D flat screen TV's in Phoenix? Would Judy find your site? Possibly, but not necessarily. Is the verbage, 3D flat screen TV Phoenix AZ, anywhere on your site? Is your site indexed by Google, Bing or Yahoo?

Is your site in a good Internet neighborhood?

Internet neighborhoods are very much like real life neighborhoods. Ask your friend where to find that TV and I guarantee you that they (probably) won't send you to a guy who is selling them out of the back of a truck. They're going to point you to a reputable store. As well, it's in the search engines best interests to point you to the most relevant websites. They have billions in advertising dollars resting on their recommendations.

What could land your website in a bad neighborhood?

Using blackhat SEO techniques jumps to the front of the line, followed very closely by allowing links back to spammers. If you're running a blog or forum, be sure to moderate the comments and weed out the ones linking to obvious spammers.

The Power of the Internet

The Internet has leveled the playing field for many small and medium sized businesses. It's not uncommon for many many more visitors to find you online than could ever find your brick & mortar location. Just as that sign on the front of your business and the landscaping surrounding your location is meant to draw walk-in prospects, your website is very much the online face of your business or organization. Your goal should be to make the best possible impression with each and every visitor. Following some very simple basics will help tremendously.

Visual Guidelines

It's best to select a color theme that supports your site's goals without overwhelming your visitors. Simple and pleasing versus busy and cluttered.

Navigational Guidelines

Make it easy to get from Point Query to Point Buy. Include FAQ's to answer questions.

Add a Touch of Personality

Your site needs to be different from the sites your visitors just left. Add a touch of personality, but retain consistency across the entire site. Emphasize what makes your business unique.

Graphics and Text

The right mix of graphics and text is important. Long unbroken blocks of text will send visitors fleeing for the exits. Too many graphics may impair the search engines ability to index your site. You need a balance of graphics and text to make your site visually compelling.

Attention to Detail

Broken links give the impression that your business is less than professional. If your site is not in good working order, the perception is frequently that neither is your business. What you're looking for is a quality experience with your visitors.

Steve is an Inside Sales Manager at Hostirian in Saint Louis, MO. He began his writing career many moons ago while stationed in Pensacola, Florida, writing for the Cory Log. Today, Steve writes about business, marketing, search engine optimization, and web design & hosting. You can read or RSS his articles from http://www.WDTalk.com.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Promoting Via Dental Web Design

There's more than one approach to market your dental care service. You can either make a professional dental web design for online promotions or brand awareness purposes or you might opt for the conventional marketing approach by going for below the line marketing techniques. You will find benefits and drawbacks to both techniques. Taking the dental web design method will be a bit of a risk since it is a place that not everyone has mastered. There are many people who can claim that they fully understand everything there is to know regarding online marketing and having your dental care program stand out from the competition through search engine marketing techniques and SEO.

The hazards of trusting the wrong people with your money are higher with regards to online marketing. In conventional media, the only real big drawback here is just how huge the costs are. With no proper financing, this strategy will be too small and useless to make a difference. Nevertheless, it's really a proven medium and it's easier to monitor which businesses are telling the truth in their sales pitches and those that do not. It's still a much better option to get familiar with dental search engine advertising and optimization first since the low price of this technique would be really useful for start-up businesses.

Your online existence will begin by having an effective dental web design. Exactly what entails a good website design? The standard rules of readability and simplicity come to mind. Your website has to be effortless to go through, the font shouldn't be too extravagant. You'll want to provide the effect of clean professionalism and reliability. Save the swirly font and the neon colors for another project.

A good dental web design should be very clear concerning the message and also the services that you offer. Make the various readers feel welcome by including a brief video clip presentation that quickly explains the kind of services that you offer. It's also recommended to make it extremely simple for the consumer to find a contact page or anything that could lead to more information about you and what you represent. All of the certifications which you have obtained over time should be right in the front page. Consumers love validation of expert knowledge. The more certificates you've got as well as true testimonies you can collect, the more customers you'll probably influence.

That's not to say that you should plaster as much text and certifications within your front page as you possibly can. You must incorporate it into a layout which looks every bit as good as the service that you promise. Nobody will focus on a huge wall of text so be sure that your dental web design balances aesthetics with usability. Aside from this, you might also need to optimize the internet site for search engines like Google. This can be done by most SEO companies if you do not know how to accomplish it yourself. It is advisable to include search engine optimization principles early enough in production rather than later.

Before you decide to pursue any sort of venture in online marketing, do yourself a favor and be sure to check out these trust worthy pages that will be sure to help you in making a successful online marketing strategy to promote your practice Dental Web Design, and Dentist Marketing Additionally, you can reach me at 1-323-851-3825

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Become a Graphic Designer Or Web Designer

The goal of web design is to create a web site that offers content and interactive features to a user in the form of web pages. A web designer must have the skills to create a website that can provide the different requirements of people for their site. The web design project usually starts with a few pictures that the website demands. Web makers focus on the general appearance of the website first, and then go on to creating other web pages.

The way a website looks is the first thing that attracts people, so a website must look striking and exceptional. Web makers make use of colors, photos, images, background, font style, shapes, curves, bullet points, watermarks, shading and bordering to enhance the appearance of a web page. Themes, animations, frames and other graphic elements also come into play. Text content does not play a major role at this point, although you must keep in mind that websites are visited due to the written material or content and not necessarily because of the website's looks, appearance or graphics.

There are many styles and ways to design a website. A wide range of graphic designing material is available. Various shapes, backgrounds and font styles are available to web or graphic designers so that they can easily accomplish their task. Web designers should have a sense of what kind of design the website requires. In many web designs, the graphic designs are essential. In other websites, however, the graphics design is only a secondary concern. Official websites or those with a specific purpose like social forums, tutorials, informative content, encyclopedia, etc. demand less graphic designing. Books and magazines are also published in their specific sites and do not demand much graphics.

Websites for educational purposes like those of different schools, colleges and universities contain detailed information about their institutions. General information about the institution, departments, courses, faculty, admissions, fee structures, results, etc. are made available. They have more text content compared to graphics.

Graphics requirement depends on the industry you are operating on and your target audience. If you are from the entertainment industry and your target is to entertain and amuse teenagers, adolescents and kids, then fun seeking, songs downloading, beauty tips, fitness, health maintenance and games must be incorporated in the website. The website requires more graphics to enhance its appeal. Kids' websites should be colorful and highly animated to attract the children's interest and make them want to visit again. It is the job of the web maker to manage the text content and graphic requirements of the website that they are operating.

Enroll in a web design course and get your web design degree quickly online. Check out our recommended schools today!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Make a Website and Remember These Things

Many individuals and businesses are now realizing the importance of having their own website. Websites are totally beneficial and useful to every individual whether for personal or business purposes.The increasing popularity of the Internet has further boosted online website creation activities. This is predominantly apparent in the presence of a great quantity of websites and web hosting sites that offer the necessary tools and tips on how to a make a website.

Creating a website might seem too hard and problematic particularly to someone new to it.These websites and web hosting sites make it less complicated and easy for anyone to make a website of their own.They can provide you with the tools and equip you with the necessary knowledge and familiarity with the terms in making a website. These websites and web hosting sites make it easier for anyone to make a website, however, the task remains an enormous one for anyone who is unfamiliar with this activity.

The number of websites in recent years has ballooned since technology has made it easier for anyone to create a website. As a result, the competition for space and attention from online users has become stiffer. It has become more obvious that being knowledgeable in how to make a website is not enough, whereas what is more important is how to make your website distinct.In doing so, you also have to consider several important factors in designing and making your web pages.

In making a website you have to bear in mind that our principal object is to lure online visitors.Therefore, what should be our foremost concern is to make our website as comfortable and convenient for our viewers.

Among the factors that should be remembered is how the web content is written. It is vital that you provide credible web content for your viewers. Aside from being credible, your content should be educational and should contain all the information about you, your company or the products that you are selling.Many people veer away from websites that have badly written content and consistently harbor anomalous articles.

You also have to conduct several tests to your website to find out if there are any problems in regards to the loading time, compatibility with browsers and navigation features. It is highly suggested that you ask people that you know to try your website and determine where the problems might arise. A lot of people also get impatient with web pages that take too much time to load. To address this potential problem, you have to test your website's loading time and compatibility with certain browsers.Some websites are not compatible with certain browsers. You also have to be concerned with your website's navigation features. A lot of web users get impatient when a website is too complicated and they usually stay away from those kinds of website. It is also vital to keep track of your website's statistics. Recording the statistics of your site such as getting the number visitors your website gets on the average, their origins and what pages they usually look at; all of which can help determine if your website is doing well and what part of it needs to be improved.

There are important factors to consider in making a website. Due to the stiffer competition for space and attention from online visitors, it is now a huge task for anyone to make a website. In making a website, it is important to pay attention to the viewers' convenience and comfort in viewing a website. There are currently several websites and web hosting sites that make it easier to create a website.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Web Design & Usability Issues

Whether you have a website or are looking to establish a web presence in Calgary, you will need to consider these top ten web design usability issues:

1. First Impressions

Studies have shown that the human eye generally reads a web page in an "F" pattern, from top left to right. Therefore, the hottest real estate on your business website is the top left area. Post your essential information there, especially your corporate logo. Overall, your website needs to create a great first impression and establish confidence and trust in your visitor. A Web design should not hinder or overwhelm content or branding on any page, including the home page.

2. Menus & Navigation

It is ideal to have consistent and universal navigation on your Calgary business website. This means having a menu that can access all pages at any time. This makes it easy for visitors to find the information they need and also maintains confidence in their experience with your company. Having supporting navigation such as breadcrumbs or contextual "previous" and "next" buttons or links to related items will reinforce the site's overall usability. Consistency is key, and remember that navigation, such as text links and a site map, is also used by search engine robots when indexing your web site pages for their search results.

3. Contact Information

Make it easy for visitors to contact you by displaying your Calgary office address or phone number clearly on all pages of your website, or at least on your key pages. You can also have a contact us page that has more detailed information, such as different branches, key contacts or a contact us form. These days it is also not uncommon to see live chat options so a visitor can connect with your staff as they surf!

4. Call to Action

Even if it is just to get a visitor to call your office, a website needs a "Call to Action" - this is something that is defined by a combination of site navigation, content generation and site functionality, including e-commerce processing. What do you want visitors to do on your site? Where do you want them to go? What is the next step once they have found your site? Is it to call you? Buy a product online or learn something? Or perhaps share information with a co-worker in the form of an e-book or pre-recorded video.

5. Keeping Above the "Fold Focus"

Keep the critical information in the top area of your website, above the fold where someone has to scroll down to read more. This is why logos, menus and the main calls to action appear in the top part of the site design - they need to be easy to find and use, without the person having to scroll down the page to find the information. Of course, when detailed information is needed pages can be long, however, consider using a PDF document for more passive content, as it keeps the actual Web page shorter and more manageable.

6. Web Content that Invites and Offers a Return

A relationship is an ongoing commitment from both sides, it is not a one way street. While the visitor is looking for a product or information, your business is looking for that new customer and the sale they bring - and as it has been said before, it is so much easier to sell to someone who has already bought from you before. So, when I say "offers a return" I mean it's a return for both sides, the returning customer finds continual value in your services or products and you retain them as a repeat customer. So keep content fresh, updated and consider adding a blog or Content Management System to you Calgary Web site.

7. Clear Content Layout

Organize your site so the visitor can easily flow from one page to the next, that information is prioritized in a hierarchy of need (both for them and you) and provide the information or product to them as efficiently as possible. Consider the home page as the gateway to the site and lead the visitor to what you can offer them (e.g. latest deals, latest information package, latest blog entry, etc.) and then give it to them. Ensure that each page follows a consistent layout for navigation and branding and that the content area is organized in a clean manner so the design of the site does not interfere with content delivery.

8. Appearance Matters

A website's impression is made not only by what is included in the site, but what is left out. Bypass banner ads, third party advertising, non-interactive flash animation and overwhelming colour schemes that blatantly fight for the visitor's attention. Visitors are generally looking for one thing on your site, so make it easy to find by keeping the structure and layout of the site simple, clean and direct. While someone may gain attention by wearing a speedo with flashing lights on it, most people will end up buying a product from the salesman who is a tad more conservative. J

9. Trust & Security

With billions of Web pages online these days, visitors need to know, more than ever, that they can trust their valuable time and money to what your site has to offer. Security seals and trusted third party endorsements, 256-bit SSL Certificates speak directly to the visitor about what you have done to secure your Calgary web site. However, there are subtle, yet effective, ways to show your visitor that they can trust your site: include properly written privacy policy, terms of use, shipping and returns policy, unique logins for their registration, acknowledge you will never sell or share your information with a third party unless they agree and only email them to the degree to which they have agreed. A basic way to ensure trust is to have your site professionally developed as this shows you have invested your own time and money in something you feel is worthwhile to others.

10. Polish to a Shine

Errors happen, it is technology after all, and while we all want to believe that technology can deliver 100%, 24/7 - is that reality? The reality is knowing that accidents happen, glitches happen and once in a while things need to be fixed. The reality of the Web is knowing that technology is expanding and those tools made to make your life easier still take time to learn and use. As technology expands we must be prepared to update, upgrade and expand along with it. By working out all of the errors such as broken links (this requires ongoing maintenance), spelling errors, broken images, browser inconsistencies, etc. you can present a well-polished gem to your website visitor, which will inherently carry its worth in its visual appeal, optimum functionality and delivery of relevant, needed content.

Consider the above 10 key points to improve your current web site or if you are looking to start a new Calgary Web design project.

If you are looking for a proactive and multi-faceted design team in Calgary Alberta, please visit Calgary Web Design to see BlindDrop Design's full list of services to the Cochrane & Calgary Area. Lucas Arnatt has been a Calgary Web Designer since 1997.