Website design is both an art and a science. And, as I like to remind my clients, your website is absolutely never done. It will (or 
should be) ever-growing and changing. Think about it this way — your website is your “bricks and mortar store.” It is your visible representation of your business. When you go off to the mall and walk past a store front, your eyes automatically shoot to the windows to check out the merchandise, right? And if you are someone who goes to the mall often, you’ll scan the windows to see what’s different and new from the last time you walked past.
Websites can do this, too. In fact, to work well for you, your website MUST do this. You need eye candy, just like the stores at the mall. Large retailers who have online presences now (and who doesn’t) try mightily to get you to look at their windows virtually. If you buy a Sketcher shoe, for example, when you check out online Sketcher will offer to e-mail you once a week and let you know the newest Sketcher styles. So will Cole Haan. (Can you tell I like shoes, LOL?). You can do the same thing with your e-zine and autoresponders, too.
But first, let’s give each page of your website the acid test. These three very important questions came up in a conversation I had the other day with Michael Port, a friend who can safely be called a marketing guru (in fact, the Wall Street Journal DOES call Michael a marketing guru). I’ve been pondering these ever since we talked, and I suggest you ponder, too!
- Who is coming to this website page?
- What do you want the person to do on this page?
- How are you going to get the person to do it?
Pithy questions, huh? I’d also add “What is this page title and why?”
Give each of your web pages this acid test. I’ll just bet that, like me, you’ll be planning some page changes. Which is as it should be, because, remember, your website is never done. 
Great questions, Sue. And, embedded in your post is also the wisdom of keeping good company! So, along with taking a look at my website with fresh eyes, I’m thinking of the company I keep with appreciation!
Right after I read your post, I looked out the window to see a humming bird. In her flitting about, I wondered what makes her stop. It often seems to be the red stuff. She can cover a lot of territory and ‘look’ at a lot of things, but what makes her stop? Hmmm.
Sue, what a great way to relate to a website – bricks and mortar like a physical store front. It brings such clarity to the function of a website.
Beth
I’m glad the visual helped, Beth.
Sue Painter
Twitter: getunstuck
says:
Thanks for passing these questions along. I guess I’ll have to stop postponing making those website changes. Thinking about the focus (who do I want to be reading it, what do I want them to do and how am I going to get them to do it and why is this page there will really help me become more strategic about my online presence.
Yep, think about your website like a window. Something new out there often!
Sue Painter