The very first thing a visitor to your site does is form an opinion based on what they see. This means you MUST imprint a unique and positive image in your visitors' minds immediately. You do that by showing off an "attractive" home page.

C'mon, "attractive?" What is this a beauty contest?

Well, sort of. You see, a HUGE percentage of visitors judge your entire business within the first 10 seconds of visiting your site. If they are presented with a handsome page that loads quickly and looks professional, they may be compelled to stick around. (At least long enough to see what's in it for them.)

Think about it like this... How many times have YOU clicked away from a site even before it finished loading? Yeah, that's what I thought. Me too. Web surfers looking for something in particular not only want the right info, they want it from the right source. If your site looks like it was designed by a 12 year old, you're in big trouble.

And no, you do not need fancy graphics, java and the like. Just make sure your home page is a place that YOU would be instantly impressed by. You do this with a professional logo, a crisp, fresh look and simple navigation links.

Unfortunately, most new webmasters cannot design a website that is professional and attractive. So instead of putting up a lackluster website, their best solution may be to be buy a business site template. Here's a site that offers low-cost and attractive templates...

http://www.templatemonster.com

Oh yeah, and if you are hosting on one of those free sites, GET OFF and get your own domain name. Free hosting will kill a website before it even has a fighting chance.

If your company won't spring for it's own domain name at just a few bucks a year, your potential customers will think twice before they buy from you. Scratch that - most wouldn't even consider buying from you. Plain and simple.

If you are serious about doing business online, get a domain and a professional web hosting package. If you need help deciding on a domain name, click the domain button at that link. You'll find a free tool to help you locate a keyword based domain that fits your business.


#2: How to give your visitors an irresistible reason to stay past 30 seconds...

Once you have pleased them with your professional look, get right to the point -- give them a reason to stick around.

You do this by making it glaringly obvious how your site can help them. Remember, they probably came looking for something in particular. If they are forced to "search" for how your site may help them, it's too late, they're gone.

You can pull this off by displaying a few lines of text prominently, where your visitors will see it right away.

Here are a few examples...

"This site has helped thousands of webmasters design a professional website. Come inside and learn how to design your own site now."

"Do you need advice selecting stocks? Put our 10 years of experience to work for you. Browse our past picks and current recommendations."

And my own text which appears in the first two seconds my bizweb2000.com site loads...

"I've been making a living online since 1996. I'll help you do it too..."

Sit down and think about how your site will help your visitors -- then make sure you tell them right away.

#3: How to start a lasting relationship with your site visitors.

The single most effective way to hang onto your visitors is to give them a gift and get their email address in exchange.

Hey, getting traffic is tough, so you are crazy if you let them get away without at least trying to stay in touch with them. And no, you don't have to publish a full newsletter, but offer something! Here's a great example...

A few years ago I visited a retail site which offered a "monthly specials" email list. Sign-up was free so I took a few seconds and joined. Every month for three years I received their monthly email. Out of 35 or so I received, I probably deleted 30 without even reading them. Yet one month I noticed a product I had been looking for, and at the right price, right in the subject line. Guess what? I opened the message, clicked to the site and bought it. While I was there, I also spent $300 on a digital camera.

As you can clearly see from that example, regular email contact pays off. If not today, maybe next week - or next year. The cost of staying in touch is tiny compared to the long-term rewards.

Just offer something of value in exchange for your visitor's contact information. And don't ask a million questions in your sign-up form. Visitors may be interested in what you're offering, but may shy away if they have to reveal too much information about themselves. A lead is a lead. Ask for their first name and email address only. If you scare them away, they may never be back.

As far as the logistics, use a simple follow-up autoresponder to save their name and email address. Web based autoresponders can automatically follow up with your prospects at regularly scheduled intervals. If you need an autoresponder service, this hosting package as well as many others come with autoresponders built right in.

Once your list starts to grow, you can send newsletters like the one you are reading right now, specials offers, joint venture notices and anything else directly related to what they asked for. Just don't overdo it. Your subscribers can be your lifeline to your business if you treat them right.

One last note on opt-in lists - I understand they take time to build. But it is time well-spent. Of course, there are legitimate ways to jump-start your list building. If you don't want to wait the standard list building time curve, consider my friend Gary Baker's unique package. He offers fresh lists of 5,000 opt-in subscribers at just four cents each - a jump-start package that is ideal for new and established business alike.

OK, that's it for today's tip. You now know exactly what your site needs to do the first 30 seconds every time a new visitor arrives... Impress, inform and retain. It's as simple as that!

Jim Daniels

P.S. Are you making a living from the Internet yet? (There really is no lifestyle like it, unless you were born into riches.) Come to make-a-living-online.com and I'll show you the exact steps you need to take to make it happen.

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