Does your website bear an even passing resemblance to the junk drawer in your kitchen? In an effort to make a site as pretty as possible, many people make the mistake of having too many images, too much clutter and not enough information. If you are in the business of selling information, you will need to make sure that your site is as informative as possible. The first paragraph on your website is the most important of all the information on your site. You will need to “grab” your viewer right then and there or, unfortunately, your website can become a statistic quickly. In fact, the majority of web surfers spend 10 seconds on a site before deciding whether to stay or go. If they’re stuck waiting for images to load and having to page down to get to any text, you have all ready lost them.

Many people view a website as an impersonal tool, a way to reach many people quickly. They tend to loose focus on the personal aspect of doing business and creating strong customer relationships. For example, if you walked into a brick and mortar store and an employee approached you waving banners, and saying “LOOK AT THIS!” you would most likely run the other way. On the other hand, if a knowledgeable sales person approached you and said, “We have some wonderful specials that we have hand picked just for you,” you would be much more likely to stay. Just as in the real world, you only have a few seconds to make a good impression.