Here are a few things to bear in mind when building your first website or blog:

#1 – Forget the bells and whistles – keep it simple

Design on the internet needs to be easy on the eye, user friendly and make sense to the average user. Never assume your customers will be as web savvy as you – many may just be familiarizing themselves with online surfing while others may simply have come to expect traditional navigation on a website.

Simplicity always rules on the net. Let your website stand out by making it easy for the visitor to find what they’re looking for, and most importantly by providing great value and content within your site. Then simply follow a few basic good design rules and you’re set to go. Here are the most important rules to follow:

* Don’t use color for the background. Keep the background of your website or blog white. In some instance a light color will work but avoid dark colors. Black can be especially difficult on the eyes. When in doubt, go with a white background and black text.

* Don’t use too many graphics or flash images. Flash images can make a website slow to load and be downright annoying in some cases. Use images sparingly and make sure you use Alt tags in your images to make them search engine friendly. A few well-placed graphics can make a good impression and add to the actual content of the website – graphics should always enhance your text, not take away from it.

* Don’t use music or audio without controls. An audio welcome can be a great addition to your website but always give visitors the option to click to hear the audio if they choose to. Otherwise, you may startle or annoy your customers when they suddenly hear a message they weren’t expecting.

Music in most cases is just not necessary and will distract from the message of your site. If you feel that music is a good addition, again, give your customers the option to click to listen to the music rather than taking that choice away from them.

* Don’t use too many text colors. As with the background and design of a site, text color should be kept simple. At most use three colors within your site, preferably two – one for the standard text and one for headlines. This will make reading easy on the eye and look more professional. Using two colors also means that your headlines will stand out to the reader and draw them into the text.

* Break it up. Text can be very difficult to read online. Make it easy on your visitors’ eyes by breaking up the text into small, manageable sentences. It also helps to add bullet points and sub-headlines throughout the text as many readers on the net skim pages rather than absorb them in full.

#2 – Don’t forget the content

Good design is important but great content can make all the difference to your internet success. The best approach is to gel good design with stellar content and you’ll have a sure winner on your hands.

Always give a little more than other websites and keep your content fresh and up-to-date. Add interesting stories, articles, downloads, videos and information that will help your visitors achieve their goals.

#3 – Don’t avoid feedback

Feedback – good or bad – is important to your business. Ask visitors to fill in a poll, reply to your newsletter or give them feedback in general. Use this feedback to improve your site further and to help your visitors achieve their goals. This will pay off nicely for you too in the long run.

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Most people click away. They’re searching for information and we’ve become accustomed to instant gratification, at least online. So what’s an internet business owner to do? Make sure your webpages load quickly!

Here’s how to design your webpages for fast loading.

#1 Graphics are the biggest culprit. Graphics are the biggest problem when it comes to slow loading web pages. The general rule of thumb is to make sure a graphic takes up no more than 10K on any given page and the rule of thumb is to make sure each page takes up no more than 30K so you can see where your graphics play an important role and why optimizing them is so important.

However, before you take that 500X500 jpg and minimize it to 100×100 in the html code of your page, stop! Reduce the size of the image before you put it on the page. Forcing the server to recognize the code and reduce the image size every time it loads, slows down the loading time significantly.

And steer clear of flash, it generally loads quite slowly. If you do use flash make sure you optimize the files before you load them onto your server and page.

#2 Watch tables and colors too. Tables and colors can also be big files and take up a lot of space. Use tables sparingly, when they make sense and fit into your overall plan. Colors on the other hand are a necessity, right? Use simple design and background images and fills for the best loading, and probably the most user friendly, webpages.

It’s predicted that as we move into the next decade, beyond 2010 that websites are going to become even more streamlined than they are now. Part of the reason is that more and more people are accessing the web from their mobile devices and a streamlined and simply designed website is much easier to use.

#3 Clean up your code. Often there are bits and pieces of broken code. Cleaning it up will help streamline loading times.

#4 Optimize your page for content. Content is the biggie here, it’s why people are going to your website so rather than spending all that time and energy on graphics and colors, make sure your content loads quickly – try to skip tables and frames, is easy to read, and takes a prominent position on your page – there are no distractions.

#5 Use gadgets and plug-ins sparingly. Yes, these are fun tools that can enhance your user experience however they can also clutter a page and slow down loading time.

These five strategies are applicable regardless of the tools and language you use to create your website however, as you or your developer delve further into the website building process there are certain things you can do within each tool or language to increase loading time. Learn the rules and specifications of your chosen website builder and learn how to optimize images and files. Accomplishing this will take you a long way toward achieving a lightening quick load time and happy prospects and customers.

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What is a Favicon Exactly?

Favicon stands for ‘favorites icon’ and they’re little icons or graphics associated with a website and generally positioned to the left of the URL in your browser bar. Generally favicons come in a few basic sizes including:

* 16×16,
* 32×32,
* 48×48,
* 64×64,
* And 128×128

So How Do You Get These Little Icons to Attach Themselves to Your URL?

Well the easiest way to get one is to first use a Favicon generator. These handy little tools will help you convert an image, or your logo, into a favicon. You can also create your own favicon from scratch by drawing it with an icon drawing program.

The new icon will be saved as favicon.ico. 

From that point you will save the icon on your computer.

Next, upload the saved image to the root directory of your web space. If you have a webmaster, send them the image so they can upload it into your root directory.

The last step is to add a line of HTML to the header of your web pages. You’ll want to position it between your and tags.

It’ll look something like this. This identifies your favicon to web browsers so they can display it whenever someone visits a page on your website.

The last step is to visit your URL in your browser and make sure the favicon is there. If not, double check your html for errors.

So Where Can You Find Favicon Generators and Icon Drawing Tools?

There are many free generators available online. Simply search using the terms “favicon generator” and you’ll find a number of them. And if you want to draw or create one yourself from scratch simply search for “favicon drawing tools” or “icon drawing”. If you have Photoshop, you can use Photoshop to create a favicon too.

Adding a favicon to your website is a wonderful way to brand your business. And it’s simple and easy to do. Have fun with it, research other favicons on your favorite websites and your competitors and get creative.

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Here are seven effective strategies to guarantee targeted website traffic.

#1 PPC ads. Of course, not all PPC ad campaigns generate targeted traffic. You have to study your prospects and design keyword-specific ads that send traffic to a web page related to the ad. For a website about dog training where they have to dig to find your potty training information, you’re not sending the right kind of targeted website traffic to the right place. Send them directly to your potty training product page.

#2 Classified advertisements. Use the same advice and strategy as with PPC ads above.

#3 A squeeze page, opt-in list and targeted email messages. A squeeze page is essentially a way to capture the email addresses of people who are actually interested in receiving your information. True, they may be after your giveaway but that’s okay – they’re still a qualified prospect. Once you have their email address, you can begin sending them informative, entertaining and slightly promotional messages, all of which are designed to send them directly to your website – targeted website traffic.

#4 Article marketing. Article marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate targeted website traffic. When you publish quality content, and it gets published online on article directories and republished on other websites, you’re reaching a wider audience. The link(s) in your article and in your bio box can all send targeted traffic right back to your website. The more articles you publish, the more targeted traffic you generate. It’s a simple equation.

#5 Blog and guest blog. Use the same advice and strategy as with article marketing above.

#6 Social networking. Social networking can send tons of traffic to your website simply because people are curious about you and your business. However, if you’re strategic about your social networking strategy you will occasionally include links to your website with attention-grabbing posts or headlines. The result: targeted traffic.

#7 Comment on blogs and forums. On most forums and blogs when you participate and comment you can post a link to your website in your signature. This does generate curious folks who just want to know “who said that?!” However, when you participate in forums and blogs that are relevant to your website and industry niche, you’re sending targeted traffic to your website.

You can also try unique approaches like posting reviews on websites and directories for products related to your industry and include a link to your website in your review profile, for example reviewing on Amazon.com. You can post answers on Yahoo! Answers and you can post videos or podcasts on directories and drive traffic to your site much like you would with article marketing.

There are a number of creative ways to drive targeted traffic to your website. Targeted traffic is where the money is. Analyze your traffic-generating strategies and tactics to ensure you’re sending the right kind of traffic to your website.

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#1 Change font colors. Font colors have more impact on your visitors and sales than you may think. Use this opportunity to test the effectiveness of a few different font colors. It’s an easy way to change your website, give it a new look, while at the same time maintain a high degree of continuity and perhaps increase your sales and conversions.

#2 Update your photo, or add a photo if you don’t already have one on your website. A personal touch, like a photo or a personal audio or video message, is a wonderful way to connect with your visitors. People like to see who they’re doing business with, who created the website and a photo or an image of you helps them make that connection. Spring is a perfect time to update your photo or update your audio or video message. Refresh it and add new life to your website.

#3 Add a social networking tool. You can add a twitter feed, a connect with me on twitter, facebook or whichever social networking sites you have a profile on. These small feeds help boost your followers and again they can be a personal connection – people are able to see what you’re posting.

#4 Update your banner ads. If you’re like many affiliate marketers or website owners, they find a few good banner ads relevant to their niche, paste the code in the sidebar and let them be. The trouble is, these banner ads become stagnant. Now is the time to evaluate the success achieved from these banner ads and to update the ones that are working and replace the ones that aren’t.

#5 Add a new technology. News feeds, as they relate to your industry, are a fun and valuable technology you can add to your website to add a spring lift. You can also add a new survey, contest or other small bit of interest that also serves to engage your audience and/or provide you with valuable information about your customers.

#6 Update and make sure all of your links are working. This can be a tedious task if you have a lot of links however, it’s important because one broken link can send a visitor away. The goal is to keep them on your website, right?!

Spend some time reviewing your website to see where it can be improved. Explore technology available and analyze your customer’s needs and problems. If you can enhance the user experience on your website and add value, go for it.

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How Audio Motivates Purchases

# Liking – One of your biggest assets as the owner of a small business is your personality, and audio makes it extremely easy to communicate that personality to your audience. If people like you, and we’re assuming they do, then they’re more likely to purchase from you. You can use audio messages to connect with your audience and influence liking. Even a simple welcome message is a great start.

# Authority – People buy from people or companies they consider to be an authority in their industry. Audio is an exceptional tool for you to use to demonstrate your authority on your niche topic. How to audio messages, interviews and lessons are all tools to demonstrate authority.

# Social Proof – We often make purchasing decisions based on the opinions of others, particularly if those “others” are people we respect, admire, or want to be like. You can tap into this social proof trigger by interviewing an expert or posting audio testimonials on your website.

How to Use Audio on Your Website

We’ve already touched on a few ways you can use audio on your website to influence buying triggers. There are essentially two paths you can take – you can use audio as a product in your catalog or as a marketing tool.

Product Creation – Audio lends itself to many profitable products which you can sell or give away as a thank you or bonus, for example:

* Email training courses, workshops, and seminars
* Tutorials
* Podcasts
* Guest interviews

Marketing Tools – Many of the above items, which are mentioned as products, can also be used as marketing tools when they’re given away as freebies or thank yous. In addition to the above, here are some other possibilities for using audio in your marketing strategy:

* Product reviews
* Personal message
* Sales content
* Viral marketing
* Testimonials
* Advertisements

Audio lends itself to a whole new audience which of course is good for you because the more followers you have, the better. When creating your content strategy or looking to the future, begin using audio in your product catalog and to market your business. Then watch your business grow.

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This is an exciting and fantastic opportunity for business owners who know how to make the most of this powerful sales engine.

Here are a few tips to help you create a website that really sells:

#1 – Keep it simple. A great website doesn’t have to include tons of graphics or flash images; in fact, this can work against you. A website with clean lines that’s easy to read and navigate will usually have a better conversion rate. Your visitors aren’t really interested in all the bells and whistles – what really matters most to them are the answers you have to their problems. You can achieve this by offering genuine great information.

Avoid music, flashing images and too many graphics. A few well thought out graphics can enhance the look of your website but anything else may be confusing and look too “busy” to your visitor. If in doubt keep it simple, and let your words shine.

#2 – Content is king. Great content solves problems and offers solutions. When people search on the internet they’re looking for information first and foremost. If your website offers solid information, people are more likely to visit you again and trust your product recommendations too. Quality content will also attract the search engines and you’ll stand a better chance at achieving that all-important top ten ranking for your keyword phrases.

Always concentrate on creating value through quality content, and you’ll build a business that will pay you back for years to come. You really can’t go wrong with providing good content.

#3 – Get their information. Even with a great website it’s likely that your visitors won’t buy from you the first time around. It takes time to build confidence and trust on the internet. This is why it’s important that you have a method of collecting their name and contact information when they first land on your site. You can then communicate with them through emails and start to build a relationship which will bring them back to your website.

To get the highest number of subscribers, place an opt-in box in a prominent position on the home page of your website. But don’t stop there; make sure the opt-in box is prevalent throughout the site so that visitors can access it from any page. Include a catchy headline to draw their attention to the area.

And don’t forget to give your visitors an incentive for signing up. People really don’t give their names and email addresses out as freely as they once did due to the high levels of spam on the internet. Give them an incentive to sign up by offering a free report or other great offer.

Building a great website is not difficult. Always think about your visitors first and help them by providing a website that’s clean and easy to navigate. Then add great content as a solution to their problems, and finally get their information so that you can keep helping them further in the future. Concentrate on these three basics and you’ll design a website that truly is a 24-hour sales engine.

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1. When was the last time you updated your website design or functionality? If it’s been more than a year since you’ve done anything to your website other than add content, then it’s probably time to at least give your website a few touch-ups.

2. Does your website design still accurately reflect your company personality, brand, vision and mission? Businesses change and grow and you can easily outgrow your website design. If it no longer represents who you are and where you’re going as a business, it’s time for a makeover.

3. Is your website able to accomplish all that you need it to accomplish? Old platforms may not be able to handle all of the functions and features you’d like to offer your audience. For example, maybe you want to be able to offer a paid membership option.

4. Have you rebranded your business? If you’ve rebranded your business then your website most certainly needs an update.

5. Is your website poised to handle the future? If your website already has a retro look and feel, it may not be ready for what the future has in store. A touch-up now may prevent you from having to do a complete overhaul in the near future.

What you can do to spruce up your website

* Upgrade or fix the navigation. Navigation, or how your users are able to get around on your website, is essential to them staying on your site and revisiting it. If things are difficult to find, you can bet impatient website visitors will not stay. Navigation is an important function and is a good way to update your website.

* Design. When people think of makeover this is what often comes to mind and yes, you can change or update your colors, design, layout, logo, and graphics to give your website a fresh look and feel.

* Search engine optimization. Hopefully you’ve been updating your keywords and SEO tactics as your business grows and your audience changes. Internet users have become significantly savvier when they search and it’s important to keep up with the trends. This is more of a behind-the-scenes makeover and can be handled by a SEO professional or by you or an educated administrative assistant.

* Functions and features. Today’s prospect likes to interact online and that means offering web 2.0 features and functions. Most often this doesn’t require a complete overhaul but rather adding some user-friendly items to an already existing site. However, if your platform hasn’t been updated in a long time, you may need to upgrade to stay current.

To stay competitive, it’s important to assess your website on a regular basis. Every six months to a year is a good idea to keep things fresh, innovative and interesting to your audience.

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