Give Your Website A Review.

When was the last time you gave your website a serious review? Take a few moments and look at it as if you were a first time visitor.

Here are a few tips for what to look for:

1. Immediate Clarity On What Your Site Provides
   Probably the most important question to ask yourself when looking at your website is, "Can a visitor, within nanoseconds, know what you do and how you will benefit them?" If the answer is "no"... you are in trouble. If your visitors can't confirm that your site is where they want to be almost instantaneously to their arrival... then the next action they take is to click "off" your site. It's on to the next! Don't even kid yourself that a cute photo or a large heading will inspire curiosity. Clarity is what visitors want.
   
   Use the Golden Rule of online communications,
   Thou shall be ...Convenient & Hassle-Free!
   removing any need for the reader to think!
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2. Convenient & Hassle-Free To Navigate
   The Golden Rule doesn't stop with the first connection to your site. If you make it past "step one" the visitor needs to immediately know where to go next inside your site! You must make it convenient and hassle-free for the eye to "see" where "more" of what the visitor is looking for can be found. If not ... the next click is off your site!
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3. Convenient & Hassle-Free To Read
   Can the information on your website be read "easily and quickly?" Most online readers read from top to bottom ( not left to right) and initially all text is scanned. Some details to check on include:
   
   Choice of font style - Arial continues to be the cleanest and is seen from all computers. Paragraph Headings can vary in font style which can often help provide a path for the eye to follow.
   
   Choice of font size- Use a size that allows your quantity of text to be taken in "easily" with a glance. Not too big and not too small. Arial size 10 is a good choice. Size 12 can be appropriate if it is just a small quantity of text.
   
   Grouping of text - Is your text grouped in small paragraphs? Remember that the average reader is simply scanning your information. If you can group your text into smaller groupings, having the first line of each paragraph carry an important point ... you will be more successful in making your text work for you.
   
   Focal Points For The Eye To Follow - As you review your website pages, Do you find that your eye is directed through the pages? Does the use of bold, spacing, titles, background colors, pictures assist your reading of the pages or does it get in your way? Hopefully you are finding that your eye is following a directive path so that as you scan from top to bottom you actually get to the bottom! If you find that your eye gets confused or that your are "working" to read your information .. it's time for some changes!
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4. Clean & Appropriately Sized Images
   Are your images and/or photos up to date? Are they clear or fuzzy? Do they sit on your pages or have a white background around them? Do they need to have a drop shadow or a border or "something" to provide a more professional look?
   
   Photos can play a huge role in delivering your message to your website visitors. Make sure the quality of your images match the quality of your business!See what you come up with as you do your review! Very often the smallest of changes can make the largest of differences.
   

What did you discover about your own website? Do you have questions or even more input ??
Post a comment ... share with all of us.