Palm Desert Web Design

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Use these techniques to briefly describe what you're offering and explain why it's valuable. Then provide links so visitors who want more information can go deeper into the site. Your home page is the appetizer that makes visitors hungry for more.<br /><br />3. Tell Them Where To Go<br /><br />An understandable, easy-to-use navigation system is crucial because visitors hate to get lost on a site. Frustrated visitors leave and never come back. Take steps to make sure this doesn't happen on your site:<br /><br />Accessible navigation: Give visitors multiple navigation options to avoid locking out visitors using assistive technologies, PDA's, or non-graphical browsers. Navigation with image maps or JavaScript menus are fine as long as you always include text navigation as well. Keyboard shortcuts are very useful to visitors who use keyboard navigation instead of a mouse.<br /><br />Search function: Visitors love to be able to search a site to find the exact information or product they want. Fortunately, you don't have to be a coding wizard to include one. Some Web hosts provide them; other free sources include Google, and FreeFind. Learn more about how Web site search tools work at the SearchTools.com site.<br /><br />Site map: This is a must for large, complex sites - but it's often helpful for small sites that cover a variety of topics or whose organizational structure isn't obvious. By the way, search engine spiders love them because a site map helps them index the entire site.<br />Your site navigation has to be easy to use. You're wasting your time tantalizing visitors with exciting copy on your home page if they get lost while trying to learn more.<br /><br />4. Earn Their Trust<br /><br />Visitors can't see you; they'll probably never meet you in person, or even speak to you over the phone. That means they have to be extra comfortable with your site before they're willing to buy anything.<br /><br />Include the following on your home page to increase your visitors' confidence:<br /><br />Company name, address, and phone number: You'd think this would be automatic, but many sites don't include this vital information. Many visitors hesitate to do business with a company that won't provide a phone number. Search directory editors look for contact information too; they may reject your site if you don't provide it.<br /><br />Contact email address: Always provide a contact email address, but be careful to avoid the dreaded email spiders that harvest your address for spammers!<br /><br />Customer ratings: Sites such as BizRate, eBay, and ResellerRatings allow customers to rate a Web site's sales and service level. If you're a member, be sure to prominently list your high rating with these services and provide links so visitors can see for themselves. Careful online shoppers do use these services!<br /><br />Testimonials: Don't go overboard, but a few well-chosen statements from happy customers add credibility too. You might place them in the margin or inside pull quotes for emphasis.<br />Don't forget to emphasize your site's accessibility on the home page and link to the site's accessibility policy. Visitors with disabilities are loyal consumers who spend twice as much time on the Internet as people without disabilities. Show them you want their business!<br /><br />5. Don't Break Anything!<br /><br />Finally, your home page has to work when visitors load it.