do you get your'e message across?

[www.sitepal.co.uk]

what grabs your visitors and makes them stay

is

image, graphics important?

well written text?

or other media to get the message acrosss?

 

[Bouldr]

I personally find that if I have done my marketing correctly, then my visitors will stay because they know exactly what I provide and that they want a piece of the action.

It's as much about what happens before they come to my site as it is about what they see when they get there. If I land them right, then someone who is interested in 'Widget X' goes directly to the 'Widget X' page, rather than to my homepage and then on to the product page (If I get the initial sale done, then I can up-sell just before checkout, or just after adding to basket).

In terms of on-site goodness, I think users appreciate the following (in order):

• Simple Navigation
• Short, articulate passages of text
• Images that complement the text or activity in question

I have always found that superfluous text (management speak) and images (think generic images that are of no consequence - people staring moodily at computer monitors, business men shaking hands, etc...) make for an irritating user experience. Keeping it simple and obvious reduces the potential for a user to make a mistake or become frustrated.

A good experience will always keep a user on your site for longer - a bad experience will definitely send them on their way.

 

[Rob Holmes]

The best site visitor is one that needs your product and is suffering because they don't have it - then all you have to do is provide them with a clear explanation - quickly - that actually this is the case and then provide a mechanism for them to relieve this suffering.

I imagine with the Sitepal sites not many people have 'realised' they are suffering by not having it on their website - so you have the additional step of letting them know this within the first 7 seconds of them being on your site - if you can do this then they'll stay and read more (for the right reasons)

Rob

 

[creospace]

The best site visitor is one that needs your product and is suffering because they don't have it - then all you have to do is provide them with a clear explanation - quickly - that actually this is the case and then provide a mechanism for them to relieve this suffering.

I look for areas where people are suffering then build the product to fill the gap. Mostly these days it's time, no one has time and time is a comodity if you can do something that can give people more time and/or a better lifestyle IMHO you're onto a good thing.

Gary

 

[directmarketingadvice]

Excellent post, Bouldr.

You've clearly thought about where your website fits into your marketing and what causes people to land on your site in the first place.

One of the best posts I've read on here in ages.

Steve

 

[Bouldr]

Thanks Steve - The UKBF have been such a help to me - I'm just trying to put something back!

 

[silkveil]

I think my customers like pictures. Do my pictures look like the image they have in their head. Usually they want a veil like one in a picture. Peoples imaginations are very poor.