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5 Key Components to a Successful Website

When putting together your online business, most of us automatically think in terms of what colors to use, what the name should be, which products to carry, and so on. While these are important factors, there are five major ingredients that are essential to having a successful internet business.

1. Well written salescopy - When it comes down to it, your words are the most important part of your site. When written properly, they can be the difference between breaking even and having an incredible conversion rate. There are two key themes to implement when writing your salescopy - benefits and language style.

Benefits refer to writing with the visitors’ needs in mind. What do you have that they want? Why should they want it? The old school way of thinking pushed features and benefits, but over the years, research has shown that internet surfers have a short attention span. Let them know why they should stop their surfing and buy from you, but use words like “you” and your” instead of “we” and “I”. After all…the sales process is about them, not you.

Language style has to do with knowing your target market. How old are they? What are their interests? How do they speak? If your salescopy comes across like it is speaking down to the reader, or is not speaking their “language”, your chances of them hitting the “back” button skyrocket. Get a solid idea of your target market, and write to them accordingly.

2. Come up with a compelling headline that sparks curiosity or attention - Studies show that you have an average of eight seconds to convince the reader to continue reading your copy or surfing your site. Make sure that your headline grabs their attention while trying to solve a problem or a need. Which sounds better to you? “20 Ways to get traffic to your website”, or “Tired of getting little or no traffic? Double or triple yours with our proven methods!”

3. A rock-solid Unique Selling Proposition - In a nutshell, it is a slogan or philosophy that makes you different from your competitors. This is NOT your Guarantee - it is similar, yet more about the way you do business. Let’s say that you sell NASCAR merchandise…you can use something like “Your merchandise will reach your home in 15 days or less, or we will take 50% off your next order”. Take a peek at what your competition is doing, and top it or put a twist on it.

4. A straightforward, easy to spot Money Back Guarantee - Research shows that customers rarely take advantage of the money-back guarantee, yet it could be the difference when deciding between your store and the last one that they visited. Come up with a simple, clear guarantee statement that comes across like you would absolutely love to give them their money back (as painful as that is to type), and make it easily visible throughout your site. The more peace of mind and trust you can establish, the better. Which leads me to…

5. Your contact information - While this may seem like a step that isn’t important, think about the way you approach a small business site when looking to purchase. Almost everyone knows someone that has been scammed online, and with so many sites out there, why should they trust you? Having detailed, easy to find contact info give the consumer confidence when they are asking themselves “What if I have a problem? Who do I contact?” The more information you offer, the less the consumer thinks you are trying to hide something.

Bryan Halverson is the owner of the search engine optimization company Search Summit SEO, and also writes for Online Success 101, a blog devoted to helpful advice for new and existing online businesses.

5 Key Components to a Successful Website / Author: Bryan Halverson

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