Although the Internet has provided a wealth of opportunity
for all of us, it has also created a breeding ground for
scam artists. Internet users are very reluctant to make
purchases online, and share their personal information. 

For this reason, you must take every opportunity to convey
your professionalism -- from your web site, products and
services, to your customer service, each will play an
important part in your success.

The moment your site loads, your visitors will have an
instant reaction -- your site will either convey your
professionalism or your amateurism. If your site doesn't
look professional, your visitors may leave your site
prematurely and never return.

If you're not confident in your ability to design a
professional looking web site, it would be in your best
interest to hire a professional.

In addition to having a professional appearance, a
professional web site should possess the following essential
components:

Domain Name

In order to establish credibility, you must be willing to
invest in your own domain name and professional web hosting.
Web sites hosted on free servers are not taken seriously and
will suffer a serious loss of business. Your visitors may
feel that if you don't have your own domain, you may not be
a credible company. They'll simply take their business
elsewhere.

Professional Logo

A professional looking logo is an absolute must. Not only
will it give your site a more professional appearance, but
it will also enable your visitors to recognize your brand.

Your logo should be displayed in the top left corner of each
page of your web site. 

If you're not confident in your ability to design your own
logo, you can get a professional logo designed for just $25
at gotlogos.com. http://www.gotlogos.com

Theme-based Content

Your web site should focus on a specific subject and provide
a variety of information that relates to the subject. For
example, if your web site focuses on dog grooming, your
pages might include all of the following: 

  • Dog grooming articles
  • Dog grooming ezine (newsletter)
  • Dog grooming tips
  • Dog grooming accessories
  • Links to Dog Grooming resources
  • Dog grooming news links
  • Dog grooming photographs

Content comes in a variety of forms including news,
articles, tips, horoscopes, weather and resource links.
Although fresh, original content is preferable, there are a
variety of free resources available on the Internet that
will provide you with free content. 

The following web sites provide free articles for
publication:

Web-Source.net http://www.web-source.net/articlesub.htm 
Mega-Success http://www.mega-success.com 
Marketing Seek http://www.marketing-seek.com 

The following web sites provide free syndicated content:

Syndicator http://www.web-source.net/syndicator.htm 
isyndicate http://www.isyndicate.com
Moreover http://www.moreover.com
Screaming Media http://www.screamingmedia.com

Email Capture

Collecting your potential customers' email addresses is an
absolute must. Whether you publish an ezine, provide web
site and/or product announcements or tips, you must take
every opportunity to capture your visitors' email addresses.

Display a subscription form on every page of your web site.

Privacy Policy

Internet users are becoming more and more concerned with
their privacy. However, there is something you can do to
ease their minds. 

Create a page on your web site called "Privacy" and let your
visitors know exactly how you will be using the information
you collect. 

This page should include an explanation of all of the
following: 

  • How do you plan on using their information? 
  • Is their information sold or shared with a third party? 
  • Why do you collect their email address and how will it 
    be used? 
  • Why do you track their IP address?
  • Let your visitors know that you're not responsible for 
    the privacy issues of any outside web sites you may be 
    linking to.
  • Why do you use order forms and what do you do with the 
    information acquired? 
  • Do you run contests and what do you do with the 
    information? 
  • Do you have a discussion forum or message board? Let 
    your visitors know that any information that is 
    disclosed in these areas becomes public information and 
    that they should exercise caution. 
  • Do you have security measures in place to protect the 
    loss, misuse and alteration of the information under 
    your control? If so, let your visitors know.
  • Let your visitors know how they can opt out of your 
    mailing lists. 
  • Provide your visitors with your contact information 
    should they have any questions about your privacy 
    statement. 

About Page

An "About" page is an essential part of a professional web
site. Your potential customers want to know exactly who you
are.

Create a page to add to your web site called "About" and
include all of the following: 

1. A personal or professional biography
2. A photograph of yourself
3. A complete description of you and/or your company
4. Your web site and/or company objectives 
5. Your name, address, phone number and email address 

It is very important that you include an "About" page --
especially if you're selling a product or service. You must
do everything in your power to put your visitors' minds at
ease.

Testimonials

A great way to build your credibility with your potential
customers is to display your customer testimonials. Include
your customer's name, email address and web address with
each unsolicited testimonial to increase believability. 

You can find a nice script that will rotate your
testimonials at Willmaster.com. 
http://www.willmaster.com

Money Back Guarantee

To further increase your credibility, you must completely
remove your potential customers' risk. Provide them with a
solid, no risk, money back guarantee. This will put their
mind at ease by building their confidence in you and your
product. 

Feedback

Many times, potential customers will have questions about
your products and services. Instead of displaying an email
address on your web site, consider using a feedback form. 

Create a page on your web site called feedback and place a
form on this page to enable your visitors to contact you. 

Your personal response to your potential customers can
literally determine whether or not you're going to make a
sale. 

You can find a nice feedback script at Willmaster.com.
http://www.willmaster.com

Secure Server

If you're processing your customers' orders online, you must
place your order form on a secure server. Not only will a
secure server protect your customers' personal information,
but it also provides him/her with added confidence in
placing an order with you. 

Copyrights

Display your copyright information at the bottom of each
page. It's best to include both the word Copyright and the ©
symbol, as some countries don't recognize one or the other. 

Your copyright might look like this: 

Copyright © Year Company Name

By taking the time to ensure your site possesses these
essential components, you will increase your chances of
success considerably.
 

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Part 10 of 10

Copyright © Shelley Lowery 2003.

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the highly acclaimed ebook
series, Web Design Mastery -- An eight volume (500+ pages)
in-depth guide to professional web design. Web Design
Mastery is being hailed as the "Bible" for professional web
design. http://www.webdesignmastery.com