What's the focus of your Web site? If you can't
answer this question in one short sentence, you're going to find it difficult to
build an audience.
It's important to remember that when first-time
visitors click in to your Web site, you've only got a few seconds to grab their
attention. Web surfers are an impatient bunch. If they can't figure out the
purpose of your site quickly, then they'll click off elsewhere.
In my Web business, I get a steady stream of
submissions from Webmasters who want me to review their sites. I'm constantly
surprised at the many submissions I get for sites that lack a clear focus.
We're not just talking about shoestring sites
that have been set up by newbies on GeoCities. This goes for even large,
corporate sites that are run by teams of Webmasters. In the latter case, I can
only surmise that it is indeed true that "too many cooks spoil the
broth."
The fact is, your visitors shouldn't have to play
a guessing game in trying to figure out what your site is all about. Merely
having all the information somewhere on your Web site is not enough. If your
welcome page doesn't offer a clear picture of your site's focus, then you can't
plan on your visitors finding it on a FAQ buried on an inside page. Odds are,
your visitors will never find such information, because they won't bother to
explore your site beyond your welcome page.
How can you ensure that your site has a clear
focus for your visitors?
1. Consider coming
up with a short, snappy slogan that basically sums up what your site's purpose.
The slogan should be prominently displayed on your welcome page "above the
fold." (That is, clearly displayed without the visitor needing to scroll
down your welcome page).
Your slogan should be displayed in plain,
easy-to-read HTML and not as part of a graphic image. The problem with the
latter is that you want to grab visitors' attention right off the bat. Graphics
take longer to load. (Remember, even in today's "broadband world,"
most Web surfers out there are still using plain old 56K dial-up modems).
Additionally, if you sum up your site's purpose
in a plain text slogan, you increase the odds that you'll fare better in getting
desirable positioning in the search engines.
2. Don't overdo your
welcome page. Keep it as simple as possible and keep the focus clear and to the
point. Too many Webmasters go overboard with information overload on their
welcome pages. The focus should be to get the crucial information (and only
that) on your home page. A well-designed welcome page offers just enough to
"hook" in a visitor and encourage him to explore the site further.
3. Forget the
gimmicks and eye candy. I've seen a number of Web sites, (particularly those run
by large corporations), that offer state-of-the-art streaming video and
Shockwave and Flash animations on their welcome pages. On a broadband
connection, some of these sites appear quite impressive at first glance.
However, there are serious problems with using
such cutting-edge technology on one's welcome page. In only very few cases, is
it really needed. And only rarely does it offer anything that's going to
encourage a visitor to actually bookmark a site.
In fact, when you go with a high-tech approach on
your welcome page, you open up the door to a lot of potential problems. In
reality, that nifty multimedia presentation that looks so good on your office's
T1 line may take the average user forever to load in his or her browser.
Technology can also present other problems. As a
general rule of thumb, the more cutting edge it is, the more potential bugs it
has that have yet to be ironed out. Remember, if a visitors' browser crashes the
first time he comes to your site, then odds are he won't be back.
In summing up, try to keep a clear focus on your
Web site. Not only should your welcome page load quickly, but your visitors
should be able to determine how your site can benefit them as quickly as
possible. (Of course, ideally, your inside pages should load quickly as
well--but the load time of your welcome page is the most critical).
How can you tell if your site has a clear focus?
A good, simple way to determine this is to
occasionally take off your Webmaster's hat, step back, and pretend that you're a
typical visitor, clicking in for the first time.
Ask yourself some basic questions.
Is this site's focus clear to me? If I were a
typical visitor, would I bother to stick around and explore the site further?
And most importantly, would I be likely to bookmark this site?
It's also important to enlist the help of friends
and colleagues in this task as well. Encourage them to give you straight, blunt
feedback and to tell you honestly whether they found the site a helpful
resource, with a clear purpose.
Lastly, pay close attention to what your site's
visitors tell you. Don't be insulted if you get E-mails critiquing your site.
Instead, utilize any and all feedback you get in fine-tuning your site and
making it a better resource, with a clear, easy-to-understand focus.
About The Author
Marc McDonald is a former journalist and editor with the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram and the creator of TheFreeSite.com as well as several other
popular Web sites that have received extensive media exposure from CNN's
"Headline News," the BBC, Fox News, ZDTV, CBS Radio and the Washington
Post. Visit the TheFreeSite.com
for the best free stuff on the Web.
