|
Understanding Your Visitors
Key to Your On-Line Success
(c) Wanda Loskot
So, you want to know what can make your website really
effective? I can tell you what. 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 does it
fit 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.
1. 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 the 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 then 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 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.
4. 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 many 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 then that you satisfy their need to push that mouse
button while exploring YOUR site. Use that craving to your
advantage - ask them to subscribe, to vote, to click for more
information, to ask questions. 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!
|