I just a received an e-mail from one of my web hosts, telling me that 90% of website visitors will not buy, nor enter credit card info, if the website doesn't look "business like".

They sent this to me because they're offering professional design services.

I contend that while it's great to have a "business" looking website, more often than not, they come out looking cold, corporate, and cookie cutter. And in that case, they look no different than a thousand other business looking websites.

How do you maintain the professional and business-like appearance of a website, and make it feel warm, personal, and fuzzy? Well, you emphasize your human-side. Since what you're marketing is primarily yourself, add some personal touches to bring out the "you" in your website.

Here are some tips...

• Show a photo of yourself - It's said that each picture contains a thousand words. Nothing shows your human-side better than a glossy. This is the most easiest website design strategy, and the most powerful. See my article, "Put Your Photo on Your Website".



• Sign Your Name - When you write an article, be it tips on selling a home, or a background of your experience, always put your name at the bottom. Just enter something like, " - Jane Smith, Realtor", on a separate line, at the end of the article. Having that name there tells the reader that you actually wrote this. If that sounds kinda moronic, consider the average citizen is inundated with sales copy every day, from junk mail, spam, phone solicitors, commercials, and so on. Everything ends up looking and sounding the same. Just by putting your name at the end makes the entire article look personal.



• Write in the First Person - Since you're primarily marketing your skills, write as if you're talking to someone face to face. Make heavy use of words like, "I" and "my". But also make heavy use of "you" and "your". These words reinforce the personal aspect of your website.



• Keep it simple - You can't bring out your personal side if there too many things on your homepage competing for attention. Statistics show that a whopping 50% of all Internet users spend less than 5 SECONDS evaulating a website they've never seen before. You've got 5 seconds to convince these people to stay longer. A simple, clutter-free design, will help channel their eyes to your most important selling points.
  
  Here's an interesting study. Go to Google's homepage, and notice how simple it is. Because of the simple, clutter-free design, your eyes are drawn to the search form. Now visit Yahoo's homepage, which happens to be Google's biggest competitor. Notice how cluttered it is? Your eyes end up moving all over the page. If you want people to notice your strongest selling point, remove everything else, and show them just that.



• Include success stories - I don't see many real estate agent sites with a dedicated page for "success stories". This would be like a page displaying the homes you've helped sell or purchase. Include a small photo of yourself and your client celebrating a successful transaction, along with a sentence or two about the transaction. Of course, get your client's permission first, but what a great way to portray the human-side of your business.

Labels: Website-Design