22 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Website Visitors
Successful websites are user-focused. In order to develop and maintain a user-focused website you will need to consider and analyze your target market. Ask yourself the 22 questions below to identify your target market and develop a plan to meet their needs with your website.
Demographics
1 What is their age?
2 What is their sex?
3 What is their income?
4 What is their geographic location?
Knowing the demographics of your target market will affect how you design your website and how you market your products and services. Design aspects such as color and graphics should reflect the audience that you are targeting. Demographics will have an even larger impact on how and where you advertise. For example, if you are targeting a local audience, advertising on national websites will be a waste of money.
Situational
5 Will they be looking for information or entertainment?
Websites that primarily exist to provide information will typically feature fewer graphics to make the text standout more. Information seekers want to be able to quickly find what they are looking for and are usually not interested in bells and whistles.
Websites that primarily exist to provide entertainment will use more pictures, video and sound as the text has less value. Visitors looking for some type of entertainment will want more of a visually-appealing website.
6 What is their level of knowledge on your subject?
Websites that market to a knowledgeable audience in a specific niche market will be able to use more industry-specific language or jargon than a website that reaches a general audience. If you are marketing to visitors with a lower level of knowledge of your subject be sure to explain things in a way that they will understand. If you are targeting a more specific audience, over simplification may bore them.
7 How will you provide products and services to them?
Most websites are intended to produce income for the business. Some will sell products directly from their website and others will provide information about their services, like an advertisement would. Knowing your audience can help you to determine how your business can benefit from your website.
8 What types of products and services will they need?
Statistics show that about 80% of a websites visitors find the site through a search engine. Think about what your prospective visitors will be searching for, and what they will expect to find at your website.
Mentality
9 Will they be interested in purchasing a product?
Some visitors will be looking to buy while others will be looking for information. Knowing the mindset of your visitors can help you to market to them more efficiently.
10 Will they be concerned with privacy?
Types of businesses that deal with sensitive, personal information should post a privacy policy on their website. Clearly stating that you honor the privacy of your visitors and clients will remove a barrier for some of your visitors.
11 What will make them feel more comfortable with you?
If you hope to sell products online you must provide enough information to make visitors feel comfortable about buying from you. Consider the following options:
- Provide complete contact information including address and phone number.
- Display testimonials from customers.
- Offer a money-back guarantee.
- List any professional memberships such as a chamber or commerce, BBB or other associations.
Computer-Related
12 Will they be using a high-speed internet connection or dial-up?
Designing a site with a lot of pictures and video will decrease your effectiveness if most of your visitors are using a dial-up connection. On the contrary, if most of your visitors are using high-speed connections you have more freedom to use the elements in your design. Many statics programs, including Google Analytics, will provide you with information regarding the connection speed of your visitors.
13 Will they be familiar with RSS?
If your site publishes an RSS feed, your visitors should be familiar with RSS. If they are not, consider explaining RSS to them.
Advertising
14 What other websites will they visit?
If you plan to do any advertising online, it is crucial to consider which websites your target audience will be visiting. Advertising on these sites will usually give you the best return on your advertising expenses.
15 Which search engines will they use?
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is one of the easiest ways for a new website to start advertising. Google and Yahoo have the largest PPC programs and receive the most searches. If you are only targeting a local audience, some PPC programs, such as Googles, will allow you to specify what geographical area you want your ad to be shown in.
16 What publications are they likely to read?
Advertising in printed publications is also an option. In this case choosing a publication that has a similar target audience will produce the best results.
If You Are Selling
17 Will they trust you enough to make an online purchase?
Some people are still very hesitant to purchase items online. Using a well-known and trusted service provider such as Verisign or Paypal may help some of these people to feel more comfortable. Both of these companies provide graphics that you can display on your website to show your commitment to you users security.
18 Would they prefer to purchase by phone or mail instead?
Providing additional purchasing options may increase your sales.
19 What will motivate them to buy?
Knowing your visitors needs and wants will help you to market your products and services more effectively. Try to provide answers to their questions and overcome their objections for purchasing.
20 Will they have a sense of urgency?
Products that may be needed immediately will sell better as downloadable products. Higher prices can sometimes be charged because of their need and the convenience that you are providing.
21 What additional products might your customers be interested in?
Add-on products and product bundles can help to increase sales revenue. If you dont have any additional products to sell, consider promoting an affiliate product as an add-on. To find affiliate products that would be appropriate, visit www.cj.com or www.clickbank.com.
22 How can you convert your customers into repeat customers?
Following up with your customers by email, mail, or telephone can help to increase the likelihood that they will buy again. A popular method is to combine add-on products with your follow up. Try sending an email to your customers thanking them for the purchase and provide information about some of your other related products or services.
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Stock Photography Resources
The appearance of a website can be greatly enhanced by quality photographs and images. Fortunately, there are a number of resources online that will help you to find quality photos to use on your website, and some are even free.
The following websites provide free stock photography:
Stock.Xchng
FreeImages.co.uk
FreePhotosBank
DreamsTime
YotoPhoto.com is a search engine dedicated to helping users find free photos.
However, free is not always the best option. Sometimes you can drastically increase the quality of the photography by paying as little as a dollar for a picture. The following websites offer very low cost stock photography:
Stock Xpert
I Stock Photo
Fotolia
DreamsTime
Big Stock Photo
If you are a designer that uses a lot of images, you can get a subscription at the following websites and download unlimited photos:
Shutterstock
Comstock.com
Ablestock
Jupiter Images
Photos.com
With the resources listed above you can give your website professional-quality images for very little cost, or even free.
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Traits of Successful Blogs
If you are an aspiring blogger you can learn a lot by studying blogs that have been successful. Once you have identified what makes them successful, you simply need to apply the same principles to your own blog. To make your research easier, we have listed ten traits of successful blogs.
1 – Consistent Posting
In order to establish regular, loyal readers, a blog should have new posts added regularly and consistently. Whether you add a post every day, every week, or every month, the schedule should be somewhat predictable for your readers. Most importantly, there should be no long gaps between posts. If readers visit your blog and find that you haven’t added a post in a long time, they will likely assume that you have stopped the blog, and they probably won’t return. Consistent posting helps to develop loyal readers, and loyal readers are more likely to become customers or to lead you to other potential customers.
2 – On Topic
Your posts should remain focused on a primary subject. That subject may be rather broad and may contain a number of sub-topics, but completely unrelated posts will turn off readers who are looking for specific information. Personal blogs are the exception, as they often cover any topic of interest to the writer.
3 – Connect with the Reader
Blogging has an advantage over traditional article writing in that blogs invite readers to be actively involved with the posts. Encourage your readers to leave comments and questions and follow up on them whenever possible.
Part of the connection for the reader involves knowing a little bit about the writer. The About Page of your blog is your opportunity to help your readers understand your perspective and your business.
Many of your readers will have blogs of their own. By participating on their blogs you can facilitate a better relationship and build loyalty.
4 – Action On Other Blogs
Building on the previous point, you should be contributing feedback on other leading blogs. If another blog has the same target audience as yours, leaving valuable feedback can lead to new readers. The easiest way to stay consistent with posting on other blogs is to set up an RSS reader and subscribe to feeds from a number of blogs related to the same subject as yours. Each day scan through the new posts and look for opportunities to add valuable insight or answer questions posted by other readers.
5 – Found On Social Media Sites
Sites such as Digg, Delicious, Reddit and Netscape provide tons of traffic to top blogs. These sites all feature articles that their members have recommended. To maximize your chances of reaching the front page of some of these sites, study the articles that have been featured and learn about the audience pf each of these social media sites. Make it easy for your readers to recommend your article by providing links to add to Delicious, Digg and other sites (consider using Add This).
6 – Provide Quality, Original Content
Obviously the quality of content is crucial. Original content that can’t be found anywhere else will keep your readers coming back for more, and it will help your search engine ranking.
7 – Listed in Blog Directories
Blog directories are a great place to pick up new readers and they also give your blog valuable inbound links, which boost your search engine rankings. Most directories allow blog owners to add their blog for free. Industry-specific blog directories can be especially beneficial. (A list of blog directories and RSS directories can be found on our website).
8 – Easy Navigation
Blog readers should also be able to quickly find posts on topics that interest them. Many blogs categorize their posts and then provide links to the categories on the side column, Another good idea is to provide a list of your most popular posts in the side column, providing easy one-click access for readers to your top content. If possible, you should also have a search function to allow visitors to find whatever they want.
9 – Link to RSS Feed is Easily Found
Increasing your number of RSS subscribers will increase the number of regular readers. In order to get as many subscribers as possible, you should place a link to your RSS feed (and maybe an icon) where it will easily be seen. Burying the link at the bottom of your pages will mean less people see the link, and less people will subscribe. You can get RSS icons at FeedIcons.com.
10 – Tracking
In order to know how many people you are reaching and to know the strengths and weaknesses of your blog, you will need access to statistics for analysis. There are several programs that provide these services (Ice Rocket, Sitemeter, AWStats).
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26 Steps to Blogging Success
Blogging has proven to be an effective method for businesses to communicate with customers and potential customers online. Blogs offer a great deal of flexibility for the user and increase the visibility and promotional capability of a website. Trends of internet users continue to move towards more interactive websites, including blogs. With thousands of new blogs popping up every day new bloggers need to organize their efforts in order to maximize the results.
By following the steps below you will increase your chances of becoming one of the leading bloggers in your industry. The steps are organized into 3 categories: 1) actions prior to launch, 2) actions at launch, and 3) actions following launch. If you already have an existing blog you will still benefit from following these suggestions, although you will need to adjust the timing of some of the steps.
Pre-Launch:
1 – Research – Before launching your blog, find some of the leading blogs and websites in your industry. Through this research you can learn what topics are of interest to your target market. Take notice of the following items:
- Which types of posts receive a lot of comments?
- Which posts have a lot of inbound links?
- Which posts grab your attention right away?
If blog posts on a certain topic repeatedly draw significant feedback and links on other blogs, that topic can probably create some interest on your blog as well. You can use blog search engines and directories to find other blogs.
2 – Develop Link Bait – A major part of blog success is drawing links from other blogs and websites. If your website has a tool or resource that is unique and has some value, others will be happy to provide a link to you. Strong link bait will help you to create a buzz and attract visitors to your new blog.
Link bait can be a free e-book, a special report, photos, video clips, an article, a web-based tool, etc. Link bait combined with social media sites (see step #22) have built some of the most widely-read blogs. There are so many blogs out there that link bait is almost a necessity to stand out and to get high search engine rankings.
For more information on developing link bait see Andy Hagans’ Ultimate Guide to Linkbaiting and Social Media Marketing.
3 – Complete the Design – Don’t launch your blog until it’s ready to present to the world. Some free blogging services will give you default settings that you may want to change, such as the links in the side column. For example, if your blog has “Categories†in the side column for older posts, make sure you have a few categories set up before you launch. Also, check for dead links. If your blog appears to be an incomplete work in progress, visitors may not come back.
4 – Launch with at Least 3 – 5 Quality Posts – Your first impression to readers is crucial. If they feel that you provide quality, original content they’re likely to come back. Visitors that see only one post that really doesn’t interest them will not come back. Take advantage of your first impression by demonstrating your expertise through a number of posts.
In addition, many blog readers also have their own blog. Impressing these readers may get you a link from their blog. Building credibility is a large part of creating a successful blog. Starting with a combination of quality and quantity of posts will help you to build that credibility.
5 – Use Proper Writing Techniques – Blog readers tend to scan the content rather than read it word-for-word. Prepare your posts for easier scanning and catch the reader’s attention with lists, short paragraphs, headings and subheadings, bold text, etc. The same content displayed two different ways can create drastically different results. Make it easy for readers to quickly see the key points of your blog posts and they will be more prone to read.
For more information on writing for the web, see our article 10 Keys to Effective Writing for the Web.
6 – Host the Blog on Your Own Domain – Most blogs use a free service such as Blogger or WordPress. With these services you have the option of hosting the blog on your website or on theirs. Hosting the blog on your own website will not only look more professional, but it will also allow your website to benefit from inbound links to your blog. If your blog is hosted at Blogger.com, or anywhere other than your site, you will receive no benefit (in terms of search engine rankings) from inbound links to your blog. Instead, your inbound links will help Blogger’s search engine rankings.
At Launch:
7 – About Page – Help your readers to be able to relate with you by creating an About Page that explains your reasons for blogging and what you hope to accomplish. Readers often want to know more about the writer, and being able to connect with your audience will help to create loyal readers. Many bloggers also add their photo, which is not necessary but may be beneficial to help your readers feel like they know you better.
8 – Stay On Subject – Your blog posts should focus on one subject, rather than being random and general in nature. Readers who are coming to your blog for information will not be interested in a post that is completely unrelated (this pertains to business blogs, personal blogs may be different). Having a focused blog will attract repeat readers, provide better link-building opportunities and help you to position yourself as an expert in your field.
9 – Include a Lot of Out-Bound Links – Most bloggers regularly check their stats to see where their traffic is coming from. This gives you an opportunity to be noticed by some of the most popular blogs in your industry. By placing links to their blogs in your posts you can send traffic their way. When your URL shows up in their referral stats they will likely visit your blog and hopefully link back to you. Sending traffic to other blogs is a good start to becoming part of the blogging community within your industry.
10 – Encourage Reader Interaction – Developing regular readers is essential to having a successful blog. Readers will normally become more loyal once they get involved. Leave questions in your posts or encourage readers to give their opinion by posting comments. Readers appreciate the chance to voice their opinions and share their thoughts. Having blog posts with a lot of comments also looks good to new visitors. It shows that you have a large, interested audience.
11 – Notify Your Business Contacts that You Have a Blog – Your business probably has a number of existing contacts (maybe a mailing list) that would be interested to know that you have started a blog. These people who are already familiar with you and your business will be a good place to start. You may also want to ask your contacts to refer your blog to their friends or colleagues.
12 – Write a Press Release – A well written press release can generate a large surge of traffic. Starting a new blog, however, is not newsworthy. A press release simply announcing the start of a new blog will not get any attention, unless the blogger is already well-known. To get noticed and get results, create something of value that you will give away at your website. A free e-book or special report that can be downloaded from your website may be enough to get your blog some priceless publicity. If you have already developed link bait you are half way there.
Press releases can be distributed from PRWeb.com and PRBuzz.com. To learn more about writing effective press releases, visit Publicity Insider.
13 – Offer Your Blog in an RSS Feed – Most blogs offer their readers the option of subscribing to their RSS feed and receiving blog posts in an RSS reader. If you are using a WordPress blog you will automatically have an RSS feed. The link to subscribe to your feed should be placed where it is easily seen. Only having the link at the bottom of your posts can cost you a lot of subscribers. Many websites use common RSS icons to notify visitors that they offer an RSS feed. You can get free RSS icons at FeedIcons.com.
14 – Include Buttons to Add Your RSS Feed to RSS Readers – You may be able to increase your RSS subscribers by displaying buttons that will add your feed to the most popular RSS readers. Making the subscribing process one step easier for the reader may be enough to encourage the reader to subscribe. You can get images for some of the popular RSS readers at AddThis.com and TopRankBlog.com.
15 – Don’t Place Advertisements on Your Blog – Advertisements such as Google’s AdSense, affiliate program ads, as well as paid banner ads should be avoided when starting a new blog. Although advertisements can provide a stream of income, the number of visitors on your site at first will probably not produce much advertising revenue. Readers will appreciate seeing a blog without advertisements. So, until those ads can produce substantial income they should be avoided. The exception to this might be affiliate programs that are directly related to, or mentioned in, your blog post. Even in this case a text link within the article itself will be more effective than a banner ad.
Following Launch:
16 – Follow Up Quickly – Your promotional efforts immediately following the launch of your blog will bring a lot of curious visitors. Those who like what you have written will probably be back to your site within a few days or a week to see what else you have to offer. By that time you should have added a new post or two. It is a good idea to have a few extra articles written when you launch, which will allow you to focus your time on promotional efforts instead of writing.
17 – Get Listed in Blog Search Engines and Directories – Search engines and directories dedicated to blogs and RSS feeds will make your blog much more visible to perspective readers. Directories also give valuable links that can increase your search engine rankings. Our website has lists of blog directories and RSS directories.
18 – Follow Up on Comments from Readers – Some of your readers will use the comments feature of your blog to ask you questions, thank you for the information, and add their thoughts. Answering their questions and following up on their comments will go a long way towards building a relationship with your readers. This will also encourage readers to get more involved if they see that you value their feedback and that you are responsive.
19 – Delete Inappropriate Comments – Unfortunately many spam comments that have nothing to do with your writing will be posted. Comments that are advertisements or that detract from the focus of your blog should be deleted. Visitors are not interested in reading spam comments and they will make your blog look much less professional.
20 – Participate on Other Blogs and Forums – Leaving insightful comments and answering people’s questions on other blogs and forums can help you to be noticed by others in your industry. Regardless of what industry you are in, there are opportunities on blogs and forums. This is a great way to position yourself as an expert and a valuable source of information.
You don’t want to blatantly advertise on blogs and forums. In forums you can simply provide a link to your website in the signature file. Most blogs will allow you to enter your URL which will be linked to your comment.
21 – Contact Other Bloggers to Offer Original Content – Every blogger faces the same challenge to continually provide quality content. Getting your writing on other blogs can bring great exposure. Most blog owners will only consider using your writing if it is original and not just a copy of an article that is available on your website. This is also a good way to introduce yourself to other bloggers and to get them to check out your work.
22 – Social Media Sites – Sites such as Digg, Netscape and Delicious send considerable amounts of traffic to those who use them effectively. Getting on the home page of any of these sites will give you an immediate burst of traffic. In order to be featured on these sites you will need to:
- Provide high quality content
- Use captivating titles
- Make it easy for readers to vote for you or bookmark your page (by adding chicklets)
- Submit your own content to some of these sites.
Visit these sites and see what types of content are making it to the homepage. Try to create your articles similarly to those that have been successful.
Our website includes an extensive list of social media sites.
24 – Stay Up-To-Date – Being one of the leading bloggers in your industry requires that you stay up-to-date on current news topics and issues related to your industry. The easiest way to stay on top of things is to subscribe to RSS news feeds that report information relevant to your industry. This way you can be one of the first bloggers to write about current events that will draw a lot of searches. To find RSS feeds related to your industry, use RSS search engines and directories.
25 – Watch Your Stats – Statistical analysis can show you how many visitors you are getting, where they are coming from, what pages they are visiting, what pages they are leaving from, and more. Using these statistics, you can identify your promotional efforts that are having the most impact and those that still need some work. Free statistics programs are available from Google, AWStats, AdFreeStats, and Stat Counter.
26 – Share the Load – If your business has more than one person capable of writing blog posts, take advantage. Maintaining a blog can be a lot of work if you are adding posts frequently. As a reader it’s nice to get to hear from a few different writers, plus it lets each person focus on covering their strongest areas.
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