Would you buy pants from a store that sold dirty clothes? Would you buy lemons from a grocer who sold rotten fruit? I certainly wouldnt, and chances are, you wouldnt either. Thats why your business website is important. Think of your site as your online store. Presenting a professional image encourages people to shop in your store.

Your business website represents your business. If your site looks amateurish, people will think youre an amateur. It wont matter that youre a trained professional with twenty years of experience. A bad impression makes all the difference in the world. A well-designed site can increase your business, but a badly designed site will certainly drive it away.

The golden rule is that a website must be easy to navigate. Take a moment to visit some of your favorite websites. Why do you like them? Take note of your answers. Refer to the list when designing your site. Keep in mind that people will be visiting your site for a specific reason. They either want information, a product, or both. Its your job to be sure they quickly find what they need.

Its easy for visitors to click away from your site. If you dont meet their needs in a hurry, theyll click away in a hurry. All the information on your site should be relevant to your business or product. Cute pictures of your kids or pets are best saved for your personal site. Ok, so how do you keep visitors on your site? It takes a bit of work, but its not that difficult.

The main page is the first page visitors see. Its their first impression of you, and also the page which pulls them further into the site. Dont waste the precious few moments you have to hold their attention. Flash intros look nice, but they also annoy many people.

If a person is searching for a specific product or service, they dont want to stop and see a show. They may or may not click the skip intro button, so why take the chance that theyll just leave your site? The main page should also contain links to other relevant information on the site. Your goal is to make it easy for a visitor to find anything they need.

The main page should load quickly. Its true that many people now use broadband or cable internet, but there are still those who use the slower dial-up service. Your website should be accessible to everyone, not just those with fast connections. Keep special effects and graphics to a minimum. If it takes more than 10 seconds for your page to load, your visitors will more than likely click away. And you know where theyll go? Theyll go straight to your competitor.

Always remember that the look and design of your website speaks volumes about your business. Make it appealing and easy to navigate, and visitors will be tempted to stick around. An efficient design can be an excellent marketing tool.