Web Design Tips

Proper Web Site Design Tips

Have good contact information. Let people know whether you respond to emails within 24 hours, 48 hours, or several days. Sometimes people think that you did not get the message they sent. They don't know it could take up to 48 hours to get an answer at a large company. Give a toll free number for sales. People will more frequently call the company with the toll free number to buy something if they have a choice between two companies. Many people like to just hear a human voice before making an online purchase.

Get rid of the pop up ads. Pop up ads will give most people a negative feeling about your site.
Make sure you have a good Frequently Asked Questions or "FAQ" section, and keep it updated. When a customer emails you with a question, make sure you add it to your FAQ, because chances are that other people have that same question, but most never ask- they just leave.
If you have a large web site, then make sure you have a site search or site map. Don't make people hunt endlessly for information to make a purchase from you.
Give good shipping details. Let people know on the order form whether they will get the product in 3 days or 3 weeks.
Keep your pages updated. Don't show Mother's Day ads on your site in June. You will cause serious doubt in visitors' minds about your web site.
Let them know if your shopping cart is secure. Some people don't know to look for the padlock in the lower right hand corner of the web site for SSL connections.
Don't email your past customers everyday. I ask to be taken off the list if I see an email from the same company every day or two. Let them know about some great offers on your site once or twice a month, and most of your customers will be happier.

Survey a Few of Your Customers

Survey a few of your past customers. What you might want to do is ask your customers a couple short questions when they place an order. Remember that your customer's time is valuable, so you may want to offer them a coupon for a future purchase from your web site, for answering these optional questions.

Some Possible Questions
How did they find your web site?
Reason for the purchase?
Would they use your site again?
Any improvements or features they would like to see in your web site?

Keep the questions short and simple, such as in this example, and this should lead to a greater chance of visitors filling out your survey. I was recently sent a survey by a large company almost everyone has heard of. I worked on it for 10 minutes, and thought I was almost done. Then I noticed a progress bar on the bottom of the page showing I hit the half way point. This company obviously did not respect my time as valuable. I emailed them a complaint and they apologized saying many others felt the same way. So remember to keep your survey short and sweet.

This information will be valuable to you for your next web site update. You should take these changes seriously if several customers have made the same comments. You may also want to check our list of web site problems.