Complete MBA For Dummies
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MBA-level executives know that a well-designed business website is critical for attracting customers and generating sales. When customers access websites, they want to find information quickly. The easier it is for your customers to use your website, the more likely it is that they'll take action — such as registering at your website, answering company-generated questions, or purchasing product.

Try these tips when designing your business's home page:

  • Grab customers' attention. For instance, you can create a specific headline that grabs readers' eyes. If your user is searching for gardening books and enters those words into your site's search engine, you want your site to pop up with a related headline. It should have the words "gardening books" in it rather than something completely general, like "Find any book you want here!"

  • Use images to convey your message. Not only is a picture worth a thousand words, but it also takes up less space!

  • Motivate customers to act quickly. Put a time limit on what they're looking for. For instance, offer a discount if they purchase an item today. There's no quicker way to get people to act than by giving away something for free. If you want your users to register for your site, for instance, consider giving them a free newsletter.

  • Offer customers payment options. They should have a number of ways to pay for the products or services you're offering. For example, you can offer an online payment service such as PayPal, and you can accept credit cards either online or through a toll-free number. After you design your home page, test it with users and track the responses you get. Create several versions of your home page—practice makes perfect!

About This Article

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About the book authors:

Dr. Kathleen Allen directs the USC Marshall Center for Technology Commercialization and is the author of several books on entrepreneurship.

Peter Economy has authored or co-authored several books including Consulting For Dummies.

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