November 2002 Newsletter topic:
The Real Secret of Successful Websites: Content!

The Internet is about information. If you've surfed my website, you have seen that is my recurring theme. Information is why the Internet was created in the first place, and it remains THE reason for its continued existence.

In the end, it is the relationship you build with your public that makes or breaks your business. And on the Internet, the relationship starts at your website. A well written, content filled web site is your ticket to financial independence.

Ok, let's define a well-written, content filled website…

It must load quickly- If your site takes more than a few seconds to open, you will lose an amazing amount of visitors. Think about it : Take a watch and sit in front of your blank computer screen and count ten seconds…It felt like a lifetime, didn't it? *smile* Cool graphics may make your site look great, but if they make your site slow to load, they may be costing you sales and commissions.

It must be well organized and easy to surf - Nothing is more frustrating than having to hunt down the information you are looking for. Make it easy on your visitors, make the information easy to get to. If you use graphic links, make sure you use the "alt" function in your image tag, or also use a text link with your picture.

Of course you must have information on your product/service on your site, but not just a sales letter. Real information- Product reviews, usage suggestions, customer endorsements, and success stories (how clients benefited from using your service/product) are a few of the areas that should be explored. If applicable funny stories, picture galleries, famous quotes, related games and sweepstakes can be a good draw to your site.

Also include related products/services information. If you keep up in your industry, you may know of valuable sites that your web visitors will find useful. Or maybe you can recommend books, tapes or lectures. You can create a great resource library on your site. This can be great for linking too. You can contact the site owners of those sites letting them know where you have placed their link on your site and ask them for a reciprocal link. You can share visitors in a mutually beneficial way.

Establish yourself as an expert in your field. Keep up with new advances and trends and let your public know about them. Do this by creating an Opt-in mailing list. Always have a way for your customers to sign up to your mailing list. Then periodically send out "updates", advances, new uses, reviews, or news related to your product/service. Once you become their expert, they are more likely to purchase your product or service.

Offer your visitors something for free- A free sample, article, software download, even free graphics will endear you to your surfers. You are providing something of benefit to them, and showing you are interested in helping, not just making money.

I hope this short guide has given you a few ideas on how to make your site more valuable to your visitors. As a subscriber to my newsletter, you are important to me and I want to make sure you can benefit from our newsletter. Please let me know if there are any subjects you would like me to cover. If I don't know the answer, I promise you to search far and wide and bring you the best information from acknowledged experts every time. Feel free to email me any time at newsletter@marketforweb.com with your questions or suggestions.

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