Getting traffic to a site nowadays has become relatively easy: just build it on a good, Search Engine Optimizable platform (like Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress or OS Commerce for small and medium sites), add great content that people will find interesting, useful and entertaining, and the users and search engines will take care of the rest (you could also buy some links, but Google doesn’t endorse this and you risk dropping in their rankings). Most of the times, people will tell others about your site and will link to it, so you’ll start getting traffic from a wide variety of blogs/sites and social networks, in addition to search engines. This is enough to get to a steady few thousand visitors per month in about 3-6 months, and if you continue posting only good content, your site will start being recognized as “trusted” and your traffic will increase exponentially. Now, the biggest problem for every website (especially online shops, as they are made to sell, and this naturally make people think that the information on the accompanying blog may not be trustful) is keeping the visitors and making them buy or subscribe AND want to come back. Fortunately, people have been trying to optimize their sites since the beginning of the web boom, and there are a few surefire way to increase the odds of your visitors liking your site, buying what you sell and remembering it for all their future needs: 1. Keep your site’s design simple and to the point. Sure, you may want your brand new online shop to look slick and modern, but there is a limit on how many banners, pictures and videos you can put on it before it becomes unusable, slow and confusing. When designing it, make up your mind about what the site needs to do (provide useful information, make the users want to buy, subscribe or click on your affiliate links) and don’t insert more stuff than needed. By following this rule, you’ll save your users’ screen space (which is always limited), bandwidth (images slow them down a lot) and brain cells (as they won’t have to get pissed off because they don’t know what to do next, especially if they are pressed by time). 2. Tell your new visitors what your business does. Visitors that come across a new site nowadays are very impatient if they don’t see what exactly does it do. And unless they really want something rare, they’ll stay for only about 10-15 seconds, then go to other sites (your competitors) if there is nothing to explain what exactly does your site provide. This is a bad thing that can be easily avoided: just write a good, short description that you can use in the headline (for example “We sell the best food for your pet dogs and cats”), beside your slogan, if you have one, and have a detailed, yet easy to read “About” page which is clearly visible from any other page on the site. 3. Clearly tell your users what’s in it for them. They don’t care if you say you’re the best expert in the world on cats, dogs and other pets. The first thing your visitors will ask is how are you different from all other online shops? Just a few years ago, everyone was using discounts and lower prices to differentiate themselves, but it’s just not feasible to lower the prices any more. So you should give them something else, like overnight delivery, free vet checks (not as expensive as it sounds) or satisfaction guarantees. And write it clearly in the header or at least above the fold (“We sell the best food for your pets… and deliver it overnight with a free vet check coupon and a satisfaction guarantee!” or something like that). 4. Make the navigation as easy and simple as possible. Don’t make it confusing and frustrating to navigate your site and buy your products. Clearly label the buttons so that anyone can see them and know what to do next. Make the checkout fast and easy and don’t make it a requirement for users to register (instead, you could just ask for their email next to the billing/shipping address, then send them a message saying “Hey, thanks for buying! It would be better for you to register if you plan on buying from us in the future as it will save you time and possible mistakes. It’s quick and easy. Check it out when you have time!”). I saw this only on a few sites, and it was so much better to be able to register when you’re reading your email (and have free time) than in the middle of an order (worrying that your information might be lost). 5. Write in a language that your customers understand. If you’re selling general products, you want to use simple words that anyone can understand, but if you’re selling to a niche like doctors or bikers, it would be better to have the site written in their jargon. This way, you’ll give the impression that you know your stuff and are one of them (i.e. can be trusted). If you don’t know anything about bikes, just write the general text, then ask or pay someone to make it better by using words specific to the niche. These are only the basic tips that will surely help you make your blog or website “sticky”, so that your customers like it and want to come back. If you want to get the most of it, the only way to go is further customization, experimentation and improving upon the above techniques. Also keep yourself updated on the latest e-books and courses for the topics like how to improve your blog traffic, how to make money from your blog and other topics. All these are helpful to you.
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5 Tips to Make Your Customers Like Your Site and Want to Come Back
January 13th, 2010Where to Find Free Image Hosting Services
December 25th, 2009There are many free image hosting services that are available on the internet. If you are looking for web hosting UK services that allow you to host images for free, you can find an easy image host that can allow you to upload and host your image with the click of a button, through a simple internet search. In fact, you may be aware of some of the most popular image hosting sites – that allow users to upload their pictures for free.Why do various hosts offer free hosting for images? There are many reasons that a site may offer free image hosting sites. First, the website gains a high level of traffic through tags which are included with each uploaded image. These tags become searchable within the search engine and users are directed to the site of the images, where they are being hosted for free. Allowing users to upload their images and offering free image hosting is the most effective way to ensure that you are able to take advantage of hosting services.Through the simple internet search, you can find many sites that are offering free hosting. Not only are these websites offering free hosting for internet images, you also have the option to embed the image into your website, or choose an image which has been specified for certain uses, including through forums and other types of websites.
Intelligent yet easy to grasp broadband reviews
November 30th, 2009All mixed opinions abound when looking at reviews of any type of product or service. Broadband reviews are generally helpful as they can sometimes pinpoint exactly the quality of service you require. Just as if you ask a friend if they like their new car and they said that the boot did not hold enough luggage. Your home broadband connection has to perform at speeds suitable to your needs. If you seldom use the Internet, you may be able to get by with a most basic broadband package. You’ll find the best broadband reviews on the Internet are available at broadbandchoices.co.uk. And should these reviews not be sufficient information to help you choose a broadband provider, you can also use the Broadband Choices website to make a thorough broadband comparison of every major provider in your home area. To compare broadband using the site simply type your Post Code into the search box on the front page and select any two joining services you may be interested in pressing for such as television or home phone service. Within seconds you are presented with a list of all the best broadband deals available to your home. It should be noted that all of the services and information offered at Broadband Choices come completely free of charge.
How to determine the best?
October 4th, 2009web hosting is a business to provide server space, web services and file maintenance for web sites controlled by individuals or companies, which do not have their own web servers. This is great if someone is looking for to begin his business or someone is willing to broaden his trade. Many ISPs are there who will allow their subscribers a small amount of server space in order to let them host a personal Web page while other commercial ISPs will charge their user a fee depending on the complexity of the site, which is being hosted by the user. The process in which you keep your web page is called ‘hosting’. Web hosting is more like renting a house or commercial premises for your business.
As you have so many rooms, bathrooms, and other space to use in the premises, similarly in a web-hosting, the entire area, allowed for your use, will be defined as disk space and network transfer. With this space, you can have news, bulletins, documents, data, files and your own post office to accept mail for you or your business. This is your own space and to get this space you either have to own a piece of the physical internet with a network connection to the internet backbone and computer operating as server, offering access to your files and post office, for letting the people on the internet to view your web site or interact with you through emails. There are different types of hosting options, ranging from very expensive commercial web hosts, to free web hosts.
A virtual private server or VPS actually refers to a technology, which is rapidly recognizing in the web hosting industry. A VPS is created by software, which partitions a single physical server to establish multiple virtual servers within the mother server. Popularly known as virtualization, the process leads to the formation of a number of isolated environments with the ability to perform many of the uniform functions as an individual machine. A VPS tends to offer more guaranteed resources, better performance and security than the typical shared platform at the same price and they are less expensive than a dedicated server. Since a VPS have all the benefits, many perceive a VPS as the perfect compromise between shared and dedicated web hosting. The best vps hosting should be recognized with its performance, reliability, user friendliness, price and technical support.
The best dedicated hosting is the exactly the opposite of the shared hosting. In a dedicated web hosting, the hardware is dedicated exclusively to your website needs, and not with sharing the server with other customers. If you are not at all willing to share resources, dedicated hosting can provide you with a superior level of control, flexibility as well as performance. This is a platform, from which you can choose your own operating system, install your own software applications, and even incorporate the security mechanisms, you reckon will provide the server with the best protection. In such a scenario, it is also required that you should have certain skill set in order to administer and maintain the server. So dedicated hosting is not recommended for the inexperienced user, unlike shared web hosting.
Nokia E63
September 11th, 2009Nokia E63 is a GSM phone. Nokia E63, a SmartPhone mobile comes with a great list of features. Nokia E63 price is optimal and it is a great buy.
Nokia E63 is the improvised version of Nokia E61; bearing resemblance to the hugely successful Nokia E 71.
Nokia E63 is equipped with sleek looks, curvy exterior, QWERTY keyboard and landscape display. The chassis of the new series is made of soft touch plastics with rubbery keys which makes typing fun.
In between the screen and keyboard of the Nokia E63, there are an array of shortcut keys like home, calendar contacts and messages. What`s more, there is a large five-way navigation key in the centre. Although the E63 features less hardware; it is 3mm thicker. The difference may not be too great yet it is noticeable.
Nokia E63 is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera with a self-portrait mirror and an LED flash. The space key when held downwards switches on the flash so it can be used as a torch as well. The 1500mAh battery pack has been incorporated in Nokia E63.
The nav-key is handy in changing the speaker volume during calls. The major attraction of the Nokia E63 series is that, it is an interesting mixture of inclusions and exclusions as compared to other smartphones. Equipped 3G connectivity and Wi-Fi, it is a phone with sufficient features. It is ideal for messaging, mobile browsing and email delivery. Consumers on the look out for a full featured business smartphone, will find the Nokia E63 to be an ideal buy.
A leading player in mobile communications in the Asia Pacific, Nokia with its regional corporate headquarters in Singapore first started operations in the region in the early 1980s. It has since established a leading brand presence in many local markets, and business has expanded considerably in all areas of the telecommunications industry.
