I think this sound easy, right? But you need to constantly be trying and testing new things, even if you currently have a website that is doing well. Why? Because what works today, is not necessarily going to work tomorrow!

Here are a few strategies that you have to foolow when building and maintaining your website:

1. Make sure that your website will be fast loading.

If your homepage does not load quickly, your visitors will lose patience and click away. Get out a timer or a watch that registers seconds. Now stare at your screen for 10 seconds. It seems like eternity, doesn't it?! Did you know that web surfers are extremely impatience, if they can't begin reading or viewing your homepage in less than 10 seconds, they will simply leave.

Just remember that not everyone is using a 56.6K modem, cable, DSL, or higher. There are still a LOT of people out there using 28.8K and 33.6K modems, so it's important that you don't overload your website with large graphics. You don't want to lose potential sales just because your website took forever to load, right?

If you really DO need to use large graphics on your home page, just consider this tricks:

- Reduce the file size of graphics on your page.

- Specify the dimensions of a graphics file in the HTML code.

- Reduce the number of files that your webpage consists of, both HTML and graphics files.

- You only need 72 dpi screen resolution, and 256 colors (or less).

- Substitute colored text for a graphics file when possible.

2. You should collect E-mail Addresses.

Do this as quickly as possible, from your home or index page. Give you visitors a reason to give you their e-mail addresses. Offer them a free report, a free newsletter, or a free e-book and information updates. Get their addresses and their permission to contact them.

3. You should limit your visitors choices.

You shouldn't give your visitors hundreds of choices on your home page. Lead them through your site. If you are selling a product or service, lead you visitors towards the "decision to buy." Don't leave it to chance that, out of thirty choices on your home page, they might decide to look at and buy your product or service. Take control and lead them to your offer!

4. Never include links to related sites on your home page!

It's like killing yourself! After working hard to get the visitor to your site, why would you send them away to check out someone else's product? It just doesn't make sense. Put your related links and products on a separate page.

5. It must be simple to navigate.

Your website should be easy to navigate. Don't make your visitors wade through dozens of irrelevant pages before you give them the information they need. Make it easy for them to move through your website, they'll stick around much longer, and will be more likely to visit your website again.

6. Please, be consistent.

Be sure that the look and design of your website is consistent. Choose a background color and stick with it. Choose link and text colors, and use them consistently. Always put your navigation buttons in the same place, be it along the side, or across the bottom of the page.

7. Be wise when choosing a colored text.

Use colored text indicate links (blue is the traditional one) and to emphasize important concepts or points. Too many different colors make your text hard to read, and it surely will looks unprofessional. You are designing a web page, not a circus poster!, I recommend never using more than 3 colors of text, including the black text.

8. Be very careful when choosing colored backgrounds.

Don't get carried away using fancy background textures or colors. Remember that different browsers read colors differently, some folks purposefully set their browsers to read only 16 or 256 color combinations. So be warned! While white background with black text may seem pretty boring, everyone will be able to read your copy!

9. Think creatively when developing your links.

You should think creatively when developing your links, but be sure they make sense! For example, which link do you think people would be more likely to click on: "Other Stuff" or "Valuable Tips and Resources"?

10. Provide text alternatives for all graphics and links.

This is very important because some of your visitors will have their graphics option turned off in their browser. Insert your text or keyword in your ALT image.

(img src="your graphics.jpg" ALT="your text or keyword here")

11. Use descriptive and meaningful file names.

Would you remember a page that looked like this:

http://www.yoursite.com/cgibin/736wye/g5524sw?

Or would you be more likely to return to:

http://www.yoursite.com/cgi-bin/newsletter

12. Java, animation, and wild graphics.

I'm not going to tell you not to use them, If you are a multimedia game designer demontrating your skills, then it may be appropriate. However, you should not feel that you have to design the most advanced site on the Net to get noticed or make sales.

13. Let your visitors know who you are.

Make it easy for visitors to contact you, don't make them hunt through your website for your e-mail address.

14. Make it easy for people to buy from you.

I'm sure this sounds ridiculous, but I've seen far too many order forms that cause people to leave in frustration. People who make purchases on the internet expect your ordering process to be fast and easy to use.

15. You must offer a secure order page!

This doesn't mean that your entire website needs to be "secure", just the page that people place their final order on.

16. Consider adding a shopping cart.

If you sell more than a handful of items, shopping cart software will help increase your sales. However visitors should be able to access and use shopping carts easily.

17. Accommodate the customers who wish to order offline.

You will need to be able to process orders by phone, fax, and mail. You also must be prepared to handle checks and money orders.

18. Be ready with fresh content.

Your website content must be up-to-date and relevant to your audience. If your site is information based, then you need to be sure that you are adding new content on a regular basis.

19. Tets! Test! Test!

Be sure that you take the time to test each of your pages in the different browsers, as well as in all resolutions, even take the time to test your page on new and older versions of the major browsers.

20. Suggest "Bookmarking" your website!

At the beginning of your sales message or site, suggest that the visitor "bookmark" your site for later reference. This will encourages repeat visits, and therefore repeat sales! And also be sure that you make the title of your page descriptive so that it will make sense in a long list of bookmarks.

21. Keep your purpose in focus at ALL times!

Don't lose sight of why you developed your website in the first place. Every aspect of your site should somehow contribute to your goal, be it to sell, inform, or simply entertain!

That's all.

There is a great software that you should consider if you want to build a website for your home businesses or something else called "XSitePro".

XSitePro is a web design software specially created for internet marketers, that allows you to create professional looking and search engine friendly websites in a matter of minutes, not days or weeks.

XSitePro also allows you to update websites quick and easy, so the fact that you can create, manage and maintain websites fast and easy, makes XSitePro a MUST-HAVE for internet marketers.

Ohh and I almost forgot, you DO NOT need HTML skills, if you know how to write a letter in Word, you are ready to go, this makes XSitePro the perfect tool also for beginners.

You can check XSitePro at:

http://www.advancetactics.com/xsitepro.html

Copyright 2005 Syahriansyah