Image Is Everything
© copyright Terry Telford

According to a very popular soft drink commercial, image is
nothing and thirst is everything. If your thirsty for
something to drink, this may be true. If you are thirsty for
online sales, this theory will leave you parched!

Online, image is everything. If your website looks homemade,
takes ages to load, and doesn't display properly in almost
everyone's browser, you're in trouble. Your sales will be
slow or non-existent.

On the other hand, if you design a clean site, make it easy
to navigate, display your products in an organized manner,
and use professional graphics, your site will make you more
sales and more profit.

But don't forget content. Content will bring your visitors
back again and again. If your site doesn't offer something
that your target market needs or wants, your image won't
help you. Right now we are assuming that you have a site
that offers valuable content. Now let's spice up your image.

Take a look at these simple techniques to improve the image
of your website.

1. Consistency. Make sure that each of your pages has a red
thread that ties them together. Your red thread can be as
simple as using the same template for each page. If each
page looks the same, you develop continuity throughout your
site.

2. Font Style. Choose a font or fonts that are easy to read.
There are some pretty fancy fonts on the market, which may
look appealing, but are almost impossible to read. The
majority of the surfing population won't stick around to
decipher your message if it isn't easy to read.

3. Font Size. On screen, a comfortable font size is 12 pt.
If you choose a smaller font size, you risk alienating the
segment of your market that requires a bit larger print.

4. Graphic Style. This is the easiest way to create your
image. An old-fashioned map and globe in a library setting
creates a completely different image than a bikini clad surfer
girl on a beach. Your choice of graphics must mirror your
content.

5. Layout. A portal style site is an ordered chaos. A lot of
information is presented in a minimum amount of space. An
ebook sales site, on the other hand, has become a single page
mini site that concentrates on one product. Your image can be
at either end of the spectrum, but most likely somewhere in
between.

6. Colour. Your colour choices are important to your image.
A deep blue gives you a business feel, deep green gives you
an executive, money feeling, red gives you a good stop effect,
but is irritating to look at for long periods of time. Make
sure you put some thought into your colour choices before you
just pick a random colour.

These are just the basics, but they will get you started on
your image check. Second only to content, your image is your
greatest asset. A clean, clear image that mirrors your content
will make you more sales.