First,Impressions,What,Your,Si DIY First Impressions - What Your Site Is Saying About You

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First Impressions - What Your Site Says About You.By Jenean MatthewsI'm sure you've heard the saying "First Impressions,are lasting impressions". This saying is very true. Every time you meet someone for the first time animpression is made. Things are no different on the internet. Even though you, as a person, can't be seen, your site says a lot about you once it is visited for the first time. What type of impression are you leaving?In our online experience we've clicked on many sites. We have developed first impressions on numerous occasions. Here are a few impressions a site may leave:The Immediate Sales SiteHow would you like it if you went to purchase a new computer and upon walking into the store the salesperson met you at the door with a computer in hand and escorted you to the cash register? You would turn around and walk out wouldn't you. Well some sites are like that. As soon as you click on the URL you are immediately hit with a sales pitch. You don't know who the site owner is and you're not familiar with thebrand of products being offered. They may be offering the type of product you're looking for, which is why you're at the site but you need more information before you make a decision and it's just not offered. Like the computer example, you'll probably leave that site.A good salespeople introduce themselves, ask you what you are looking for, allow you to browse around if you want, give you directions to specific areas of the store that may interest you and are there for you when they're needed. A site thatdoesn't have an immediate hard sales pitch, is user-friendly and introduces the owner of the site leaves a good impression.Flea Market SiteThis site occurs as a result of the associate programs wave. I'm all for associate programs. I have signed up for a few also. The problem with the flea market site is everything is being offered on the same page. It's to cluttered.When you first walk into a flea market you're presented with everything you can possibly think of. People are selling used items, collectibles, some new items, and everythingelse. Nothing is neat or orderly, it's a flea market. You’re there to find bargains and no more. Is that what you really want said about your site? You have a lot of good quality products to offer but the site needs some order. Ebay is an excellent example of a flea market site that's set up correctly. Even though they are offering a wide variety of items through their sellers, the site is set up with specific categories and everything is easy to find. They don't try to offer all the products on the first page. That would be overwhelming and confusing. Analyze your products and determine which ones have somethingin common. Divide them into categories. Put a headline and brief description of each category of products on the first page and put the products on other pages throughout your site. A well-organized site leaves a good impression.Beat around the bush siteDon’t you love going to the dealership to purchase a car. Once you find one on the lot you think you like and you ask for more information including the price, the salesperson will proceed to ask you questions about your employment and your ability to pay and go on and on about the quality, look and feel of the car. They don't want to discuss the price until you test drive the vehicle hoping you'll fall in love with it and pay full or closeto full price for it. Even after you've test driven it they will sit you in their cubicle, bring out all the paperwork hoping you're more concerned about qualifying for the loan than haggling over the price.Some sites are just like that. They take you through page after page of promotions and information only to get to the end of the site and there's no price. The only way you can find out what the price is, is to click on the order button. By then they hope you will just proceed with the purchase instead of clickingaway. After all you have invested a lot of time at the site.A good site will give just enough information for you to makea decision. They will give adequate points about all the benefits of the product. They will also provide a way for you to obtain more information should you need it. Everything is up front and if after you've made a decision to purchase and change your mind it's easy to make that change. An upfront, customer service oriented site leaves a good impression.I'm sure you have impressions of your own that you haveexperienced. Go to your site and analyze it. Do yourcustomers know who you are? Are they able to browsearound without a hard sales pitch everywhere they click? Can they make a purchase and make changes to the purchase if they change their minds? Is the site orderly? Make sure you're leaving a good impression. First Impressions - What Is Your Site Saying About you?© 2000 Jenean Matthews is a businesswoman who believes in encouraging and helping others to accomplish their dreams. She believes people can overcome obstacles, rise to any occasion, and accomplish their entire dream with enough faith. She can be found accomplishing her dream athttp://www.1stshoppingavenue.com or subscribe to the newsletter for chances to win free gifts [email protected]