Article printed from SiteProNews: http://www.sitepronews.com
  HTML version available at: http://www.sitepronews.com/archives.html

Web Design..... with Personality!
Keith Bryan (c) 2004, Work at Home 101 
http://www.workathome-101.net

There are primary reasons that people will buy any product.  
Anyone that has ever been involved in sales of any kind (or 
has ever bought anything) knows that people respond to a couple 
of basic things. Probably the best thought I've ever heard on 
this subject is "people buy on emotion and justify it with 
logic".

There are not many products which invoke zero emotional response 
in people. So why is it that in the online world webmasters 
rely so little on this very key element of humanity? If you 
want to boost your sales/subscribers/leads etc, all you need 
to learn to do is make your page have personality.

Let me tell you a story.....

In my youth I had the very distinct pleasure of being involved 
in one of the most educational experiences in my life. I took a 
job that involved direct promotional sales. In other words...... 
I went door to door. I know what most of you are thinking...... 
"No WAY would I ever do anything like that!". I thought the 
same thing but, because I really had nothing better to do, I 
gave it a try. If you're wondering what the point of this 
little story is...... I'll tell you. 

I learned more about human psychology during this experience 
than I ever could have learned with even 100 Zig Ziggler 
seminars! Think about it..... you're approaching someone who 
doesn't know you.....at their home...... presenting a product 
they've never heard of, and walking away with a sale! The whole 
concept is absolutely amazing if you really think about it. 

Why would anyone buy something they've never heard of from 
someone they don't know? Because the salesperson had 
personality! That's why.

Doesn't this sound a bit like what you're trying to accomplish 
with your online business? The chances are probably pretty good 
that a visitor has never heard of you, doesn't know your product 
or service and, if they're anything like my family, is a bit 
skeptical of just about everything. Your goal is the same as 
mine in the door to door days..... to make a sale!

So how do we do it? How do we turn the internet from a cold, 
impersonal environment to one which makes your site as unique 
as you?

Here are a few tips....

1. Use different colors to stir different emotions. For instance 
   blues and greens are soothing..... red and orange make people 
   excited and focus attention. Experiment with colors to make 
   people feel differently depending on the page's purpose.

2. Bolding, highlighting and CAPITAL LETTERS are ways of drawing 
   attention to certain parts of your page. They are the 
   webmaster's equivalent of raising your voice or pointing 
   at something important.

3. Exclamation points should be used sparingly. Too much 
   excitement looks like you are trying too hard to sell 
   something!!!!! Remember "everyone like to buy but no one 
   likes to be sold".

4. The more information you give on your page the more likely 
   people are to trust you. People like to make up their own 
   minds...... you can help them by providing enough information 
   about your product or service to make them feel like you're 
   not hiding anything from them.

5. Don't be afraid to use "slang" and "personal phrases" to an 
   extent. This will make you look like a real person..... you 
   don't want to be "hiding behind your web page".

6. Use your name (a picture of yourself helps as well). Would 
   you trust someone who never told you their name? Believe me, 
   it's no coincidence that all customer service people either 
   wear nametags or tell you their name. Customers want to 
   know who they're dealing with...... tell them.

Now onto some examples....... See if you can tell what the 
following pages are trying to accomplish with the "personality" 
they chose.....

http://www.yahoo.com  Mostly blue..... comforting, informational.
YAHOO! logo in red, capitals, and exclamation point! .... so you 
remember the name.

http://www.toyota.com Look at the red! yeah, ok..... there's 
some information up top too...... but look at that great car 
in the center!

http://www.microsoft.com Lots of information telling me "We're 
ok.... you can trust us".

http://www.marketingtips.com Corey Rudl's page (one of the best 
internet marketers out there..... he knows his stuff)  Notice 
the home page is calming, soothing, blues and information..... 
Click on the "Insiders Secrets" link...... Wow!  Red, yellow, 
bold, highlighting, CAPS ...... get excited! And there's Corey, 
making you feel secure by knowing who you're dealing with. 
(There's a reason he's one of the best folks.)

Ok, you get the idea..... The point is that it DOES make a 
difference. These examples are some of the best in the business 
and I can guarantee if they're using these techniques it's not 
just by random chance. Try some of this for yourself. What is 
your page telling people before they even read the words? 
Chances are pretty good that it's not doing everything it 
could!

Here's a test..... go to http://www.workathome-101.net and try 
to describe me. E-mail me at keithbryan@cox.net and tell me 
everything you can figure out about the author (me) from my 
page.
 
Have Fun!

================================================================
Keith Bryan has over 9 years experience in both Internet 
and other forms of advertising and marketing.  For more 
information, tips, tricks, hot products and articles
check out http://www.workathome-101.net or e-mail us at 
ezine@workathome-101.net
================================================================

Copyright © 2004 Jayde Online, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

SiteProNews is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.