December 28, 2007

"Give your visitors an extraordinary, lasting impression of your website."

The holiday break is about over for most of us, and you know what that means: the usual flow of traffic will begin to return to your website. But eventually visitors to your website are going to leave again, and you'll have to ask yourself: what lasting impression are your web visitors leaving with?

The last impression visitors have of your website is the only thing that will help them decide whether or not to visit again. That's why it's your job to give your visitors an extraordinary, lasting impression of your website; one that will make them want to come back for more well after they leave.

But how, exactly, do you make sure your website is giving your visitors an extraordinary, lasting impression? There are a few simple ways you can do it.

What do you provide for your visitors?

The very first thing any website worth visiting again and again should have is something valuable for the visitor. It doesn't have to be much, but it should provide some use to your visitors and it should be blatantly clear from the moment a visitor visits your website.

Using big, bold headlines and clear, brief descriptions of what your website is for are great ways to show visitors what valuable content you can offer them.

If your visitors leave your website feeling like there is some valuable content there - something they can use, whether it's some sort of calculator, image editor, or just knowledge - they will come back again in the future, guaranteed. And make sure that it's completely obvious what you're offering your visitors, as well as how it can benefit them.

Does your website have a simple design?

If you have something valuable for your website visitors, you're already well on your way to creating an extraordinary impression with them, but offering valuable content isn't the only key to convincing your visitors to visit your website again. If your website is not as simple as can be - void of all unnecessary content - some of your visitors are going to find it unnecessary to visit again.

There are multiple ways you can clean up your website's design, and doing so means that your visitors have easy access to valuable content, without junk getting in their way.

The last thing any of your website visitors want is to be searching for something specific, only to be bombarded with useless crap in their search.

Keep it simple.

Can visitors get what they want instantly?

Give your visitors what they are looking for, and make it easy for them to get it.

If your website is a business that sells something, each of your webpages needs to have a big button that links directly to a place for visitors to buy that something. If your website provides useful information on cooking, you should have that information available on practically every single page.

Make it easy to give your visitors what they want - that unique, valuable thing you're offering - instantly.

Don't make visitors have to click through a million pages to access what they want, and - like previously stated - don't bombard them with useless crap. Give them what they want, and do it immediatley.

It's that simple.

Giving your visitors what they want instantly, keeping your website design extremely simple, and providing some type of valuable content are great ways to create an extraordinary, lasting impression that will keep people coming back to your website over and over again.

Don't wait to evaluate your website's impression, do it now. Make sure that each and every visitor to your website is going to come back again.