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The
Foundation Of Internet Marketing
By Muhammad Lee
Pop quiz: What is
the first concern for someone initiating an Internet marketing
campaign? Banner ads? Nope. Search engines? Nope. Link
exchanges? Nope. All wrong. Listen closely now. The correct
answer is web page design.
Huh? I know design
is important, but why the most important?
Very simple. The
layout and design of your site is the foundation. Your site is a
product. Through it customers get to other products. If they
don't buy your site's design and layout, they don't buy anything
at all.
Visitors to your
site stay for 30 to 60 seconds unless something about the site
keeps them from going elsewhere. Number one ranking in ten
search engines? Banner ads with a click through rate of 40%?
Thousands of pages linking to yours? All useless if your
presentation misses the point. Your site must be a true
marketing tool, or all other efforts are in vain.
Click the search
button on your browser and enter in some keywords on the engine
of your choice. Now click on the #1 result. Ask yourself: Am I
going to stay here or am I going to do BACK and leave to look at
the other results.
How many RESULTS
do you go through before you find a site you will at least
browse through before leaving? How many before you find the one
you want? How often is the #1 ranked page, or the banner ad, or
the ad in your favorite e-zine the product or service you are
willing to buy? Does your investigation of the front page lead
you to take a shopping trip?
What is the reason
for not being interested in a site even if it offers the
product, service, or content which is the object of your search?
My guess is that 50% of the time the design of the front page
actually chases you away.
The marketing of
your site must bring people to it. Your front page must
encourage them to stay. Design and content of the entire site
must bring them back.
Muhammad Lee is the founder and
president of The Advanced Design Group, LLC, a Web Page
Development and Internet Consulting Firm. For more information
contact ADG at adg@adgconsulting.com or http://www.adgconsulting.com
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