1. Don’t waste your web site’s real estate with a lot of high-tech clutter. With social media today that can happen easily – add a widget here, another widget there… pretty soon, it’s cluttered like the television show “Hoarders”. Your visitors will miss your whole sales message and bail.
2. Don’t forget to demonstrate Social Proof. This means testimonials. Be careful though – new FTC guidelines require you to secure the permission from the individual to use their testimonial in your copy. I always do AND, put the full name, and website url of the person giving the testimonial.
3. Don’t use run-on sentences. Sentences should be no longer than 10 words. You only have so much time to get your visitor’s attention and interest; make every word count.
4. Don’t assume that everyone will automatically understand what you have to offer. BE OBVIOUS! Use powerful words and examples to get your point across.
5. Don’t write your strongest point or benefit only once. You should repeat it at least 3 times because some people don’t get it right away. (how many times do you have to tell your kids to clean their room…5-6-7 times?)
6. White space is good! Don’t push all your words together on your web site. People like to skim; use plenty of headings and sub headings. Bold key phrases to make your copy “scan-able.”
7. Don’t write crap your target market isn’t interested in. If people are coming to your site to find info about knitting don’t include soccer content. Not to be confused with “life-streaming.” People who are following you on twitter, Facebook, etc. DO want to know what you’re doing.
8. Don’t give me a headache with your 20 different fonts and colors all over your web site. Use the same fonts, text sizes & colors, etc. If a site looks to “complicated” to read, your prospect is sure to bail and never return… worse yet, you could be “stumbled” on stumbleupon.com or submitted to websites that suck for having the worst site ever!
9. Cut out the jargon. Don’t use words your visitors might not understand. People are not going to stop and look in a dictionary, or Google the “word”, they will just go to another site. (If my 15 year old daughter can’t “get” the concept of my copy, I start over.)
10. Make your website POP! Don’t let selling words and phrases go unnoticed. Highlight important words and phrases with color, bolding, italics, underlining, etc.
11. Don’t omit your social media homes. aka. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, Delicious, etc. If you do people will think you’re behind the times. Social media has been around long enough that most everyone online has adopted some form of social interaction.
Donna Payne is the Chief Web Coach of The Web Coach.net and is known as the gal to call when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the internet. To spend more time with Donna experiencing Web technology, Small Business Coaching and Marketing in the most SIMPLIFED way possible go to http://thewebcoach.net. Get the Business Breakthrough You Need by scheduling yourself for a free 30-minute Business Breakthru Coaching call.