Which of the 5 Deadly Sins is Your Website Committing?

Building a website is an exciting process and a good site is key to a thriving online business. Developing your own website isn't complicated, but there are some unique protocols that must be followed. The five deadly sins that online business owners make when creating their own websites can easily be avoided.

5 Deadly Sins of Building a Website

1. No Relevant Keywords on the Home Page

One of the most important criteria that the search engines use to rank your website is keyword density, especially on your home page. The keywords on your home page inform the engines that your site is a relevant search result. For example, if your website is called Better Sex for Women, you would ensure that the exact phrase is used at least three times on your home page. The rest of your pages should also be sprinkled with this particular keyword phrase, as well as other keywords that revolve around your site concept.

So how do you know which keywords are relevant? Just put yourself in the shoes of information seekers. If they are searching for information on female sexuality, what words or phrases would they type into the search engine? It is also a good idea to use programs such as Word Tracker and Overture to help you identify the most important keywords in your niche.

Remember that search engines are getting smarter by the day. It's not in your best interests to dump a bunch of keywords on a page and hope for the best. Learn to write elegant copy and keep it real. Building a website is about pleasing both the search engines and your human visitors.

2. No Attention-Grabbing Headlines

It doesn't matter how good the copy on your website is if you don't get the click. You only get the click if your headlines are relevant to the site visitor's search and if those headlines stand out from the crowd. Make your headlines specific to attract attention. It's also a good idea to raise the information seeker's curiosity. Put yourself in your visitors' shoes. What is it that they would really like to get an answer to? Promise to deliver that answer in your copy.

3. No Attempt to Build Credibility

The fastest way to lose a sale on your website is to neglect building a relationship with your visitors. It's important to gain their trust and the fastest way to do it is by building credibility. How? Use written and videotaped testimonials, case studies and statistics to prove to your visitors that your are worthy of their trust. Include as much detail as possible in your testimonials - even photos of the people who provided them. You don't want to leave any room for doubt.

4. They Do Not Tell People What They Sell

If your website marketing is not up to scratch, it may be because you don't pinpoint exactly what you're selling on your home page in ten words or less. This is about packaging what you're selling correctly and uniquely. This may be stating the obvious, but your visitors are real people. They are busy, preoccupied, lazy, upset, or any of the other myriad things that real people can be at any particular time. Make it easy for them to find the solution to their problems. Make it your mission to communicate well.

5. No Relevant Offer

This brings me to my last point. When building a website you want to differentiate yourself from the rest. Do this by making your visitors an offer they can't refuse. How? Provide them with something that is interesting, relevant and useful. Offer a free report, CD or an invitation to a seminar. Surprise them! Give them more than they expect. That's the best way to ensure your visitors will be back.

Any time you invest in differentiating yourself from your competitors is time well spent. Explore your site as if you're seeing it for the first time. What works? What don't you like? Ask family and friends for their opinions. Don't get overwhelmed with trying to change everything at once. When building a website, it's the tortoise that wins the race.