Inform - Entertain - Sell

The business website has three functions. Inform - Entertain - Sell. All three require that you have a dialogue with your customer. (Did you notice Sell is the last function?)

The first thing your website must do is inform potential customers about your product. Explain the benefits of your product in terms they can understand. Don't say "It meets IEEE 802.3ae standards" when what they really mean is "It faster than what you using now.".

Keep it interesting.

Entertain doesn't mean flashing images, it means don't bore your customer.

• Use bullet statements to highlight important points.
• Tell them how other people are using your product.
• Explain how your product benefit them.

Anecdote - I was asked to evaluate a small business site for a friend of a friend. Four pages on who they were and how they started their business. Nothing-- well almost nothing, about the product.

ABOVE ALL - Tell people how your product will benefit them.

Finally, have a call to action. If you run a store, tell them where you are located. Have maps, phone numbers, FAX numbers, and email addresses -- make it as easy as possible for them to find you. If you are selling online, have easy to use order forms that actually work.

Pet Peeve - Stupid order forms. As soon as I enter your site - you know I am from Canada. Why must I scroll through most of countries of the world on some dumb order form to enter the country name. Do you really have more customers in Albania that you have in the US or Canada?