Chapter 3: KEEP IT SIMPLE
When it comes to site design, easy does it.

ONE OF THE GOLDEN RULES OF WEBSITE DESIGN IS: Keep it simple. This applies to your overall site, its graphics and the copy or words. Let's tackle them one at a time. First, make sure your site is not loaded with so many bells and whistles that your pages are slow to load. The faster people can navigate around your site, the more likely they'll be frequent visitors and buyers. Make sure you monitor your pages to check loading times and fix any broken links.

Sites don't need to be flashy. When designing your site, keep your target audience in mind. Use bandwidth-consuming audio and video judiciously. Don't put something up just because it wows you; it needs to wow your customers as well. And that wow shouldn't be restricted to design - it should encompass site functionality as well. You want to create a site that's enjoyable for visitors to browse.

Design your pages to allow customers to easily find what they're looking for. Users get bored and move on when they have to search through pages and pages of information to find what they need. Don't clutter up your web pages. Some web entrepreneurs find that offering fewer products with more detailed descriptions translates into higher sales. For others, success comes from offering lots of products but categorizing and displaying them in a way that enhances the customer experience.

A WAY WITH WORDS

We all know words matter. And on the web, they matter even more. If your web copy is working, it will improve your search engine rankings, bring in (and retain) customers, and prompt visitors to pick up the phone so you can make the sale. To start, make sure you're not a jargon offender (that is, you shouldn't be so immersed in your own world that you can't say what you mean in plain English). Keep the words on your site clear of overly technical terms and industry jargon that only a small percentage of your prospective customers could possibly understand. Headlines are often the first thing site visitors see, and good ones will grab your visitors' attention, compel people to read more and help establish a relationship between site visitors and your business. Try highlighting some problems your audience faces, and stress the main benefits of how your product or service can help them solve these challenges.

Good content gives users reasons to linger and absorb more of what you're offering. There are many ways to introduce this content. Don't worry if you're not a great writer. Reach out to friends, family members or colleagues for help. Try hiring an intern. There are plenty of college (or even high school) students majoring in English, advertising, marketing or journalism who would be eager to gain real-life experience. Your web copy should be snappy and useful, and provide information readers can't easily find elsewhere. Are you an accountant? Put up a list of the ?10 Dumbest Tax Mistakes.? An electrician could post a list of dangerous goofs made by do-it-yourselfers. A day-care provider could list the "Top 10 Books for Kids" or "This Year's Best Educational Toys."

Good copy creates credibility and increases your visitors' trust so they feel comfortable doing business with you. But don't oversell. Your copy (and this includes product pitches and customer testimonials) should inform more than it brags. Your site isn't an ad; it's an opportunity to initiate a conversation with your visitors. Make sure your words underscore the simplicity of using your site. The best websites are simple, easily digestible and easy to navigate. They make customers want to contact you and do business with you. Your site design and words should help site visitors want to take that next step.

by Entrepreneur Media Inc.