Website Layout

When you’re thinking about ways to increase traffic to your website, don’t overlook the obvious. I recently reviewed a website for someone who was having problems attracting traffic. He didn’t know what he was doing wrong - and assumed he was doing nothing wrong! What I discovered was fairly simple, but extremely important.  So I wanted to remind everyone about the importance of creating a website with content that attracts visitors and KEEPS them coming back.

Use clean layout

First of all, make sure your layout is clean. You may have extremely valuable content with volumes of current information and interesting copy. But if your site is not clean and easy to understand, you will lose visitors and search engines too. Each page of your site should be well-organized with just enough ‘white space’ and appropriate graphics. Don’t overload the pages with heavy, large pictures and graphics. A site layout that appears too ‘busy’ will be a turn-off to site visitors. They only have a few seconds to decide whether or not to stay on your site, and your layout is what helps them make that decision.

Don’t offend

Next, be sure you don’t offend your visitors. Consider the colors, words, headlines, and other things included on your site. If there is anything that could potentially be offensive to a site visitor, remove it! If there is something on the site that turns you or someone else ‘off’, odds are that it will turn a lot of people ‘off’ - and soon your website will be turned OFF!

Manage paragraph length

Third and very important, don’t write long laborious paragraphs of content and text. People like to see what they need quickly. Remember that people don’t read content - they skim it. They search for things that are important or relevant to them and if they don’t find it quickly, they exit.

Use headings and dividers

Whenever possible, use headings or dividers to make content easier to digest. They can be very useful in transitioning from one topic to another.  Lines such as ==== or ******* can create visual appeal and variety on your site too. They can attract attention and help readers know when a subject is changing or if something important is about to be presented.

These tips should help you evaluate your existing website and make any changes needed to attract and retain visitors. And they will also have your visitors returning and becoming loyal customers.

Don’t forget that having a blog that talks about your website and promotes your online business is an effective way to increase traffic too. Blogs are very easy to syndicate using an RSS feed which will help your content move rapidly through the Internet.

Don’t overlook the obvious and the small things you can do to increase traffic.