When it comes to e-commerce, I'm still a greenhorn. I don't shop much on the Internet, although I have some favorite sites that I visit periodically. And, I have my own site which I have revised a few times since its launch in February 2006. Each day I learn more about the Internet -- how to use it, how to market my closing gift products on it, and the power it wields in our world today.
One thing has become obvious to me -- we can all be too close to our own websites and not see the forest for the tree. What I mean by this is that what seems perfectly logical to us about navigating our sites, is often times not logical to the user. Just when I think everything is crystal clear, I get a message from someone about how to order. That's after a dozen people have just made purchases.
I know I can't be alone on this. There are many people who are creating their own sites and have to learn the ropes. I, too, go and look at websites -- and these days at a lot of realtor sites -- and get confused when directed to go to another page in search of information. Many times I can't find what I have been sent to.
We all need a second and a third and a fourth set of eyes (and clicks) to read and test our sites. Have friends and coworkers -- who are brutally honest -- go through your site. Look for typos and evaluate the navigation buttons to information. Do they lead to where they say they do? And what about calculators and links to listings? Do they work? From my experience, we all can do a better job.
It is not good enough that people have told me my site looks good. It has to be functional. And so do yours.
I feel another revision coming on.
P.S. Please take a look at my website and while you are there, play "I Spy" for free closing gifts. There is a monthly contest going on and the odds are great! Play monthly. I will announce the winners on AR each month. Here are some of my closing gifts:
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