If you're like most people who own a website, you probably work very hard to bring traffic to your site. Then when they finally get there, they stay a "New York minute" and click they're gone.

How frustrating is that? Well, the following four suggestions will help keep your visitors browsing just a little bit longer.

1. Navigation and Design: First impressions are everything. Is your website pleasant to look at? Is it easy to navigate or confusing? Is it clean or uncluttered or is it tough on the eyes, busy with everything all squeezed together? What about the colors? Are they psychologically soothing or upsetting? Did you know blue is the best color for business websites? It's true.

Blue is associated with tranquility, and also represents water, a life force. The color blue can actually slow a person's heart rate, and it reduces appetite, (which is why it is not chosen for restaurants). Certain shades of blue indicate dependability, making it a good color for websites and business ads.

2. Copy: Try changing your headline. Why? Because just changing the headline has been known to increase sales by 1300 percent or more! Can changing the headline really make that much difference? You bet it can! Here's why: Your headline is the very first thing readers see as they're perusing your website. That's why your headline needs to be as compelling as possible. So, what's a compelling headline? A compelling headline is any headline that creates curiosity, answers the question, "what's in it for me?", and compels the reader to read further. Thus staying at your website longer.

3. Content: Do you know what most people surfing the Internet are looking for? Information. So, why not give them what they want? The easier you make it for your visitors to find the information they're looking for, the longer they'll stay at your website.

Also, it's important to keep your content fresh. Constantly update the information on your site. Let your visitors know you're doing this. They will be more inclined to bookmark your pages if you tell them next week there will be additional fresh content. You can also offer to notify them via e-mail each time you add fresh content.

4. Start an Ezine:

There is no better way to bring large a percentage of previous visitors back to your site than to stay in touch with them via e-mail.

Since 99 percent of your visitors aren't going to buy your product or service the first time they visit your site anyway, it's vital that you encourage all your visitors to sign up for your newsletter so that you can eventually convert them into customers. Just be sure to provide quality content in your ezine as well.


**Carmella Giovanni is a free-lance writer, mother and housewife
currently living in San Francisco, California. Carmella may be reached
at carmgiovanni@yahoo.com

Want to increase your website's sales, traffic and mailing list? Try this:

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Tags: traffic, little bit, business websites, colors, curiosity, heart rate, appetite, restaurants, first impressions, shades, tranquility, business ads