.

What if you could change just one element of your website’s design that could improve the time your visitors spent on your site by 30-40 percent?

Would you be interested?

I thought so.

As I was writing a web critique for a client this weekend, there was one thing about their site that really disturbed me.

And it had nothing to do with the lack of web copy or page headlines or anything like that.

Instead it was related to the design aspect (of which I’m certainly not an expert on). And since I was looking at it from a “possible client” point of view, I can have an opinion.

I just didn’t like the colors that were used. They just didn’t fit in with the specific service that was offered or the prospect’s reason for being there. In short – it was cold and negative.

Now I’m not going to get into a war of words with designers (The good designers I know will agree with me because they do the necessary research), but when you or your designer, or whoever does your site comes up with a layout and color scheme for your website…

Please make sure it will be warm and inviting so the person looking at it will want to check it out in more detail – don’t make it look so cold, negative, and impersonal that they turn and run as fast as they can.

To do that though, they’ll need to learn about the products and services being offered, and the personalities of the people going to the site.

For example: if you’re site is selling heavy metal rock songs to kids, maybe the black and dark color schemes would be okay. But…if your website is trying to get 45 year old women to sign up for your local garden club, you may want to consider using bright and happy colors.

Bottom line — colors (and pictures, too) should be used to make your prospects feel at home, feel positive, and give ‘em that trusting, warm and fuzzy feeling they are looking for.

Depending on your services or products AND your ideal prospect’s wants, it might just be a matter of using the right color, or a brighter, cheerier color scheme.

What are your thoughts?

And if you need offline direct response marketing copy and advice, go to www.crestviewmarketing.com

Merrill Clark
Web, SEO, and Direct Response Copywriter

.

**UPDATED APRIL 5th**

The ETA from the printer is March 31st, so if you already ordered one or are going to order one, you should see your copies around the first week of April.

“How Your Small Local Business Can Get More Customers On The Internet”, written by Merrill R. Clark at Crestview Marketing Services shows business owners how to use the unlimited reach and power of the Internet to generate more qualified leads, then convert those leads to paying customers.

The paperback is only $24.95, and the downloadable PDF E-book version is only $19.95. For those of you who’d like both formats, there will be a special price of $39.95.

In stock at www.GetmoreClientsOnlineBook.com!

Frankly, at those prices, if you’re a business owner or sales professional, you have no excuse for not picking up your own copy.

It includes 27 chapters that are chock-full of practical online marketing advice that any business owner can easily take advantage of. And it’s all right here in one easy-to-read book.

***LIMITED TIME SPECIAL BOOK OFFER ***

OFFER EXPIRED!

Looky here! The E-book version is now available. If you’re one of the next 49 people who place an order for the paperback version, I’ll send the PDF version to you immediately, you won’t have to pay the shipping charge when I ship the printed book to you, plus I’ll personally sign it for you before I ship it.

You’re basically getting the $19.95 E-book version for free!

All this for $24.95! (for the next 49 29 21 18 13 7orders only, then this special offer goes away and you’ll have to pay the normal price)

So…To get started woopin’ up your competition, just click on the button below to order now!

.

If you’d prefer to see what kind of information you’ll get before you shell out your hard-earned cash, you can download one chapter from the book for free.

Get More Customers on the Internet is written in simple-to-understand language, and targeted specifically towards the average small business owner. In it, I also tried to keep the techie stuff to a minimum, and from the feedback I’ve received so far, I did a pretty good job at that.

I’m still working on the website for it…and will continue to keep you posted on the progress.

Last week I gave you the first 8 chapter titles of How Your Local Small Business Can Get New Customers on the Internet…

So here are the next 9 chapter titles…

CHAPTER 9 Page title meta-tags that generate free traffic

CHAPTER 10 Description meta-tags that make people click

CHAPTER 11 Tracking your website statistics

CHAPTER 12 Using the right keywords and phrases

CHAPTER 13 Getting found online for free with SEO

CHAPTER 14 Instant web traffic with pay-per-click ads

CHAPTER 15 Tracking and testing

CHAPTER 16 The power of e-mail marketing

CHAPTER 17 Power tips for E-mail success

My goal is to have the books in my hands by the end of March, and I’ll continue to keep you up to date…

If you’re a small business professional or owner who wants to find out how to market your local business using the power and reach of the Internet, make sure you get your own copy from the first print run before they run out.

If you just want to be notified when I get stock, email me today, and I’ll add you to my pre-publishing list.

What are your thoughts?

And if you need offline direct response marketing copy and advice, go to www.crestviewmarketing.com Merrill Clark Web, SEO, and Direct Response Copywriter

.

Do you know what your website’s visitors think about your site’s usability?

Things such as “how easy it is to navigate” and “could they quickly find the information they were looking for”.

If you don’t know, or think that just because you like it and think it’s okay, then you should pick up a copy of “Don’t Make Me Think” written by Steve Krug.

I just finished reading it, and I gotta tell you – there’s some good stuff in almost 200 pages about how others view your website and how important it is to keep your site as simple as possible, while getting the job done.

It’s amazing how I look at every website after reading this, and unfortunately, there are more sites that need work, mostly because they were designed  by a designer, not a strategist.

In it are many examples of poor and good websites, and Steve discusses all the pros and cons of each, using non-technical words.

From basic design, to layout, to copy, to how users use the Internet… He talks about it all in great detail.

And he does it in a way that is conversational enough to keep you interested till the end.

So if you want to get some eye-opening questions about your website answered, get to Amazon and pick up a copy today.

Personally, I thin any business professional that has a website should read this book.

What are your thoughts?

And if you need offline direct response marketing copy and advice, go to www.crestviewmarketing.com

Merrill Clark
Web, SEO, and Direct Response Copywriter