Keep your website design simple!

Too often, business owners get caught up in the glitz and glamour of a "fancy or flashy" website. While looks are important, simplicity and ease of navigation are far more important. Don't let a web designer convince you that your site has to be the best looking one out there. Industry studies show that most visitors cannot even recall what recent websites they visited even looked like. They will, however, remember if they found what they searched for or not. Website visitors want to find the information they are looking for as quickly as possible. Having too many links or too much irrelevant information on your website will quickly deter visitors. Studies show that you will loose up to 20% of your visitors for every link they have to click on to find the information they desire.

Here are some key items to consider when thinking about a website concept:

Include a very clear call-to-action
Put the most important information first
Having your most popular products, services, or inventory on your homepage can help your customers find what they are looking for right away
Come up with a list of relative search terms that you think visitors might use to find your website
Include high quality images (pictures are worth a thousand words)
Relative video content will keep a majority of visitors on your website longer
Plan to list weekly or monthly specials to keep website content fresh
Use a website blog to keep customers informed of new products or events