Webmaster Papers








Service Professions: Does Your Website Follow These 5 Simple Rules For Getting More Clients?


There are literally thousands of different options, styles and formats to choose from when designing your service professional business website. But there are 5 things every site needs to be successful:

  • Client-centric and easy to remember name(s)
    Your website can have more than one domain name that directs potential clients to the single site. Your service professional business website should have at least two domain names. One being your name, which is the most likely thing a client will try if they don't have your web address handy, e.g. www.bethmlyons.com or www.michaelport.com and should be something that speaks to the market you serve, e.g. www.techiecoach.com, or www.smallbusinessexcellence.com.

  • Something that grabs your client's attention
    You have 3 seconds to grab your potential client's attention before they leave, potentially forever. Engage their passion, inspire their imagination, and give them something of value in exchange for their email address.

  • Language that speaks directly to your target market
    Your site should speak to the needs and desires of your target market in language your client uses and understands. Offer specific solutions, and describe the benefits of they'll experience from working with you.

  • Success stories that establish you as an expert
    Demonstrate your expertise. Share your personal story. Share success stories and testimonials from past and current clients.

  • A Call to Action
    You must have a clear 'call to action'. What do you want your visitor to do? Your 'call to action' must be one which is easy and obvious for your potential client to take (sign up for your newsletter, special report, etc.).

If you include each of these 5 things, and you provide solution-oriented offers to the current needs and desires of your target audience, you'll not only distinguish yourself from other service professionals, you'll lay the foundation for ongoing web-based success.

Visit http://www.awardwinningwebcourse.com for a simple, step-by-step guide to developing highly effective websites.

About the Authors
Michael Port is the President of Michael Port & Associates LLC and is known as the guy to call when you're tired of thinking small. To spend some more time with Michael and to think bigger about who you are and what you offer the world go to http://www.MichaelPort.com.

Beth M. Lyons has over 15 years of experience helping the not-so-technical among us get comfortable with, learn, and then master the techniques they need and want to use. She has a gift for seeing implementation and "best-use" strategies, and communicating them in 'real english.' http://www.techiecoach.com

RELATED ARTICLES


Web Site Accessibility
Making your site accessible means making it available to be used by all. It's too easy to think that what looks ok to you will do for all. Unfortunately, things aren't that simple.
Very Cheap Website Design Services
Are you looking for somebody to build you a website, however do not have a very large budget? This is the position many people find themselves in and are on the lookout for very cheap web design services.
What Your Website REALLY Says About You And Why It Matters
Everything you say and do says something about you. This has never been more true than in a text based environment like the Internet. You only have one chance to put across what you want to say. Use it wisely.
What Drives Repeat Visitors To Your Site?
There can be zillions of reasons why your visitors return to your web site. One might be very interested in seeing your animated photo on your main page, but kidding aside I've gathered 12 elements that invites your visitors to repeat their visits.
Small Business Website Design - How to Get Professional Results on a Shoestring Budget
Just because you are a small business with an even smaller website design budget, does not mean that you cannot have a professional looking website and presence on the web. All it means is you will have to do some of the work yourself instead of paying some design firm to do it for you. Amazingly enough, self designed pages from small business owners who did their research frequently end up being better and more focused than professionally designed pages. Consider the following suggestions when designing your own website.
The Top 8 Website Sins Part One
They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Your website then is the window to your business. What would a passerby think of your "window"? What does your website say about you? About your business?
9 Ways to Gain Your Visitors Respect
The internet is filled with sites and they are good and bad. Some have been known for a long time and some still struggle to get the respect and fame they think they deserve.
Are You Driving Away Potential Customers?
When a prospect lands on your website will he or she understand what you are presenting? Do your ordering/sign up instructions make sense? Can prospects easily find the information they are searching for? If you don't know the answers to these questions you may be driving away potential customers.
6 Reasons Why Using Flash is a BIG Mistake
Most web designers and web design companies will try to convince you that if you want your business to have the best site possible that you MUST have a flash site. Flash, for those of you who are newbies, is a software program that can create really cool special effects and animations. You can either have flash elements embedded in your website or you can have your entire website done in flash.
A Website Checklist
If you've just finished building your new website (or revamping your old one), how can you be sure it's "ready for prime time"? Or maybe your site's been around for awhile and you think it may be due for a makeover. Because Web technologies, techniques and standards change so rapidly, even a website that seems "cutting edge" when it's built can look obsolete a year later. Or maybe you started out with a barebones website and finally have the time and/or money to take it to the next level. If you'd to give your website the once over, here are ten aspects you should consider:
Professional Web Design Companies - How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off
Building a website that is exactly what you want and has all of the components you believe will impress customers is not easy. Your website needs to make searching and buying as easy as possible for your visitors and sometimes it is best to seek help on your website design. You may want to seek out a professional web design company to help you design your web pages so you can get started online. However, web design companies are notorious for quoting one thing and billing something significantly higher. What you need to do is know how you can avoid getting ripped off before you ever do so you can avoid the situation if at all possible. Read the following suggestions to help you avoid getting ripped off.
Alternative to Web Site Templates and Design Software
Before I discovered the concept of Web site templates, I felt woefully inadequate to build my own site. It was the old "catch-22" where I didn't have the money to pay to have a site built, I needed a site to make the money to have a professional site, and without the knowledge of how to build a site, I had no hope of getting a site.
Can a Webpage Created Without HTML?
The HTML editor is usually a webpage design software that has a GUI(graphic user interface) which makes it easier to design a webpage using the File Menus. This is good for the non-programmers and non-technical people.
Affordable Web Design In Birmingham
If you have a business, big or small you may be thinking of getting yourself a website.
6 Website Design Disasters and How to Avoid Them?.
Let's face it; the line from A Field of Dreams isn't the whole truth. There's more to getting people to come to something than simply building it. Someone built the old run down historical mansion, but hardly anyone visits it (except maybe people you wouldn't want to run into). People want to find a place online that caters to them, specifically. They want it to be pleasant on the eyes, up-to-date, simple to understand and easy to get around in. But, this isn't an area where everyone succeeds. And sadly, some of the reasons for failure seem small, almost minute. Below are six website design disasters and simple steps that you can take to avoid them.
Successful Websites Don?t Set Out To Sell
What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and service providers, or are they electronic guidance for potential customers? Put simply, are you selling or are you helping?
Top Six Ways To Make Your Visitors To Hate YOU!
We will take a look at why your visitors may hate you maybe already do! There are many things that make YOUR visitors dislike you, but we take a look the top sex things that make your click the back button on their browser.
Your Graphics- Are They Really Working For You?
(Making Your Graphics Work For You)
Dont Overdo it!
Have you ever been to site with so much ad clutter that you wanted to just leave? Odds are you have, and odds are even better that you did in fact leave! Always refer back to the KISS philosphy. Keep It Simple Stupid!
Color Psychology in Marketing
On the internet we don't deal with face to face selling. The internet is a visual and psychological medium. The words, or sales copy, on your website have by far the greatest psychological impact on your visitors and thus becomes your most important communication and sales tool.