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TUNE-UP YOUR WEB SITE FOR MORE PROFITS

By Susanna K. Hutcheson

You may think your Web site is working just great. It looks good to you. Everything seems to click right. What you may not know, however, is that someone out there with another browser or modem or monitor size or who knows what else, might be seeing your site in a totally different way. In fact, they may not see it at all.

That's happened to me.

Of course, the cosmetic aspects of your site are less important than the content. It is a proven fact that people want a site that is rich in content and easy to navigate as opposed to one that is heavy with graphics and a pain to get around in.

But the fact is, the way your site looks is important. And the way it navigates is important.

I'd like to share with you some of the resources that can help you tune up your site and keep tabs on how well it actually works.

The following web sites will perform 'house calls' on your site, testing for errors in your HTML code and giving instant check-up results. Their basic services are free. All you do is type in the URL and click a button:

http://www2.imagiware.com/RxHTML

Bobby

Any Browser

Testing your site may reveal that minor (but important) modifications are needed for better browser compatibility. Inviting feedback from site visitors is also very helpful in this.

Since there are actually hundreds of different types of browsers in use, concentrate on making sure your pages look decent in the most commonly used ones. Remember Pareto's Principle, better known as the 80/20 Rule: Roughly 20% of the elements will produce 80% of the results, and vice versa.

5) Once the code is tuned for best viewing in the most commonly used browsers, one final HTML code check-up on your site may confirm that no errors creep in from your tinkering. I usually create one or two minor problems when I tinker with my site. So it's good to double check.

Of the many visitors your site had before you corrected the problems, you'll wonder how many of them had a less than optimal viewing experience because of the way your site looked in their browsers, and may never return again as a result? Or how many left because a graphic took too long to download or because you demanded they have a certain plug-in. People are not going to stay if you make it hard for them. So don't. Make it very east for anyone to get around on your site.

Let me recap some important lessons learned:

Never assume that your web site also looks good in browsers other than your own. You might be surprised at the difference.

Check your site's HTML code and compatibility with other browsers through tools such as suggested above, and by asking visitors for feedback.

For some neat things for your site, go to Mickey's Webpage Building Resources at:

Mick Young

There are many places on the Web that will supply you with free graphics and cgi code or anything else you might need.

But remember, keep it simple. Don't assume your visitors will have the latest plug-ins or a fast modem. In fact, assume just the opposite.

Tweak and fine-tune your pages, test, get feedback, and test again.

When your Web site looks good and navigates well in at least Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape, you can focus your attention on the most important aspect of a profitable web site: MARKETING.

Susanna K. Hutcheson is a professional advertising and direct mail copywriter. She was the first copywriter to utilize the Internet as a place to market this type of service. Susanna has clients all over the world. She writes everything from Web site content to direct mail and radio spots. Visit her Web site at http://www.powerwriting.com. Her email address is powerwriter@powerwriting.com. Telephone: 316-665-7626.

© Copyright 2006 by Susanna K. Hutcheson and Power Communications LLC. Any republication in any manner is prohibited without the consent of Power Communications LLC or the author. We do give you limited permission to use this article on your Web site or in your newsletter if you print it or reproduce it exactly as it appears here including this entire notice. This article cannot be sold by you or published in a for-profit publication, a pay-per-view site or a site which sells memberships. It cannot be used by schools or in textbooks without our consent in writing. Rights to use this article for a purpose other than the type of distribution for which it is intended may be purchased from us. Call us at 316-665-7626. You may, however, link directly (not by redirect) to this article.