Sunday, July 1, 2007

Website Navigation, or, How to Make or Break Your Website

Hopefully, you have basic idea of what you want out of your website. The next step is to put it into some sort of order. Where do we start and where do we finish? It is a simple question, but the answer takes a lot of perspective and planning.

Assuming that you know what you want to include on your website, a simple organizational chart can put the layout into some semblance of order.

"Home" page is the front door or gateway into your website. One way or another we got the customer/client to open that door and come in. Now that they have taken that first step, we cannot afford to lose them due to confusion and not knowing where to go next.

A simple, uncomplicated flow of traffic from your major categories, to your sub-categories and from there, to each of your adjacent or lower levels makes it easy for the non-technical (and that happens to be most internet surfers), to get around your website and not become confused. On top of going from one category to the next, they must be able to maneuver with ease within each of those categories. You want to direct them to where, you want them to go next and not be jumping all over the place.

The layout that you see in this chart will become the basis for our navigation system. This is a major piece of the puzzle, which we need in order to put everything together. In essence, this will be your flow of traffic.

Organizational Chart.

This type of a Chart is as basic as can be. For all practical purposes, this is your road map. You are starting at Home and going to your first stop. This could be Products, Articles, Services, etc. Within each of these secondary categories, you have their own sub-categories, each of which should be relevant to its primary category. It is important to maintain the continuity that you want and not have the customer jumping all over the place.

No Excuse for a Poorly Planning.

A poorly planned website is one that does not permit you to navigate from one page to any other page on your site. For example, if you are on Page 4 of a site and want to go to Page 2, you should not have to go back to Page 1 in order to go to Page 2. There must be a smooth flow of traffic throughout the website.

If this is not poor planning and navigation, I do not know what is. There is no excuse for it. All it takes is a few minutes longer to properly layout your map. Regardless of the size of your website, assuming that it is more than one page of course, being able to move around your website easily is imperative. It is one of those little things that frustrate the customer and cause them to leave.

Think Like a Customer.

Just stop for a minute, sit back and think like a customer/client. When you are surfing through a website, consciously or unconsciously, you are thinking “how easy, hard, or confusing this website is to navigate”?

Usually in my talks, or articles you will hear or see me repeat, innumerable times, "Think Like a Customer". Very often we become so engrossed in what we are doing that we do not sit back and look at whatever it is through another persons eyes. A different perspective is imperative. Always get someone to give you an objective opinion and/or proof it for you. For a moment, you must stop looking at it under a microscope and give it a panoramic view. You will be amazed at how much you have either missed, left out, or should be corrected.

Armen Graphic Design is a relatively new company with a background in marketing and design. The company's foundation is based on the premise of K.I.S.S., believing that simplicity in marketing effects the greatest returns. CONTACT US FOR A FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION. Go to our website for more information and an understanding of how we work. www.armengraphic.com.



How Niche Markets Can Increase Online Sales




One of the best ways to increase sales is by targeting specific audiences that are interested in the products you have to offer. This form of marketing is called niche marketing. In order to target specific groups, you will need to evaluate the types of people who will most likely buy from your site, where to find these groups, and how to market to them.

Evaluating niche groups

You can evaluate niche groups by first deciding who you want to cater your business towards. Knowing your products or the affiliate program's products should tell you plenty. If you have created an email list, sending a short survey to your customers asking them a little about themselves (average age, income level, purchase preferences, family, and hobbies) is a great way to learn more about the types of people who are buying from your site.

Niche groups can be determined in many ways. Customers may be found in multiple groups, which can make choosing a niche group more difficult. The best way to cater to these groups is to choose two or three at a time, market to them, and see what happens.

Finding niche groups

The great thing about niche groups is that they are everywhere! Niche groups include hobbyists, political groups, gender groups, career groups, artists, writers, and others. Niche groups are usually attracted to similar web sites, blogs, and open forums. For example, soccer enthusiasts usually shop on similar sports web sites and sports news sites.

When looking for niche groups, visit forums that cater to these groups and ask questions. You will be surprised by all the responses. People enjoy talking about their hobbies, careers, and lives.

Visit web sites that are offer products that are similar to yours and see if other businesses have posted ads. Chances are, these businesses are frequented by the same niche groups.

Marketing to niche groups

Marketing to niche groups is slightly different from marketing to everyone else who finds your ad online. You will have to be more specific about what you're selling and where you place ads. If you write articles that are going to be read by a specific group, you need to write on a topic they are interested in. The same goes for blogs and posting comments on forums.

Try marketing to several niche groups in order to get an idea of which ones are the most interested in what you are selling. Tracking where visitors are coming from is very important when marketing to certain groups.

Testing niche groups

Testing niche groups is the only way to see if they are the right ones for your business. You will have to allow some time for your marketing efforts to pay off, however. When marketing to specific groups, give it your all and try to boost sales as much as possible.

If, after a month, you do not see an increase in sales from a particular niche group, then focus your energies elsewhere. Focus on other groups until you find a few that show interest in your web site. Market more aggressively and enjoy the increase in sales.

joined AGLOCO

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Thanks