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Understanding Your Visitors
Key to Your Internet Success!
(c) 1998 - by Wanda Loskot
So, you want to know what can make your website really
effective? I can tell you. It is your concern for visitors.
Understanding their needs and their wants. Responding to
their wishes. Because you are building the web page for
them - not for you, right?
So, take a look at your website and examine how it
fits with the psychology of your visitors. Keep in mind that
people act and react differently on the web - so much so,
that sometime it is difficult to believe that these are the
same people who behave so "normally" in the "real" world.
They are always rushing
Maybe because they have soooo many places to visit,
maybe because they feel guilty that they should be doing
something else. Whatever the reasons - they are always in
a hurry. They have in their hands a deadly weapon
(mouse) and they click away whenever they get bored (and
they DO get bored really fast and easily).
Make sure that your pages load fast, that you tell
people quickly what and where they can find and provide
them with a way to jump to any page from anyplace with
really easy navigation.
They expect a LOT for free
People on the Internet ARE on the Internet because they
know that it is a gold mine of free information. They are
expecting to find it - and they will. Once they find it, if the
gold mine is really rich - they come back for more. And
they send their friends to visit the same places. However,
they simply refuse to come back to the place that didn't
interest them when they landed there for the first time.
Build your offer around the rich, free content. Don't think
about selling - but about what you can give. Then, and only
then, offer them something so incredibly valuable, that your
visitors will be willing to pay for it.
They don't trust easily
People on the net are often misinformed and even paranoid
about buying on line. They are aware that anyone - even a
10 year old kid - can build an awesome website full of
unique graphics, and they need to be skillfully persuaded
before they are ready to leave a name or e-mail address.
And they need to be persuaded even more before they will
hand you their money (or credit card number).
Don't even think about selling something in the first
paragraph - resist selling on the home page at all. Use it to
establish rapport and to provide information. Romance your
visitor and use as many ways as possible to inspire their
trust.
They love to click
Their mouse-finger is literally begging them to click. They
will request and subscribe to just about anything that
somehow looks promising - as long as it is offered free of
cost and you don't ask for too much information. Your
visitors will enter chat rooms even if they plan to remain
silent, they will vote, and they will even click on some
advertising banners - all for that thrill of clicking.
Make sure that you satisfy their need to push that
mouse button while exploring YOUR site. If you don't give
them opportunity to interact, they will click anyway. They
will click to surf away. Don't follow into the steps of those who
try to change the surfers habits instead of taking
advantage of them - it is a very costly mistake!
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