Take A Look At Your Website Through New Eyes

It’s hard for an author or speaker today to effectively promote their book or their speaking services without a website, even if they don’t do a lot of sales on-line.   However, there is still the misconception that having a website is just a matter or purchasing a template or finding someone on Craig’s List. 

There are a number of tests you should put your website through to make sure it is doing what it should, even if you don’t have a complicated or flashy website.  With the Internet becoming a global economy and more and more people marketing through websites, competition is rough out there. 

First impressions are key on the Internet.  And that impression can last less than a minute as click happy page viewers come and go.  How would you rate your website in the following areas?

1.    Do People Know Where They Are Right Away? 

Do you have a visible logo that means something visually and also describes what your business is about?  it is important to grab your viewers attention right away, because before they start reading, they will take in your website visually.  Convey the result people will derive from your website through pictures and other attention grabbing graphics. 

Words are important as well, though, so make sure your company name is clearly visible immediately and that you have a tagline that tells people what you do.  In addition, every page should include a strong title that conveys immediately where your viewer is and what they can expect to see. 

Try to be unique on your website, but never be modest or assume your customer will sell themselves.  Let your future customers know who you are and what you stand for right up front. 

2.    Have you checked out your computer on various viewing platforms and browsers?

A website will not look the same on all computers.  What looks great on Firefox might be a mess on Windows Explorer, and even on different versions of each.  Don’t take anything for granted.  Ask people you know and trust to view your website on at least 5 different monitor sizes, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, and on PC as well as MAC computers.

If your customers use mobile internet, you will want to check several phones as well, including iPhone and Blackberry.  The differences in the way your site looks between different platforms might surprise you.  

3.    How functional is your website?

There is nothing more annoying to a page viewer than to sit and wait for a page to load. In most cases, that potential customer clicks away before even seeing what you have to offer and becomes a former potential customer before you know it. 

Pretend you are your ideal customer and take the time to walk through your entire site page by page through their eyes.  How quickly do your pages load?  Are your links all working and pointing where they should?  Are there any grammatical errors present or spelling errors in any of the content?  Is your contact information readily available? 

The ultimate goal of this Website Reality Test is to ensure that your potential customers are welcomed into your site rather than driven away.  Make it easy for them to get around your site, find what they want (and what you’re selling) and become your customer. 

Make sure to stop by ProfessionalSpeakerPromotionOnline.com to find many other resources for successfully promoting your professional speaker career online.