The One Year Millionaire

Hello everyone and welcome back to the ‘ONE YEAR MILLIONAIRE‘ and today’s issue is a special one! The reason being is because I am going to talk about web design and how it reflects your website image, product, and overall traffic! I am going to give my personal tips on how to look professional and to keep your visitors returning for more! (I know in some cases you only need to sell them once… but if you make your sales page memorable and can leave a lasting impression they may come back and buy your product on another day!) Returning users and traffic is great for your website!

I have taken some courses in Graphic Designs a couple of years back so I know my share of design rules… I may not be as up-to-date with all the design trends as someone who recently studied in this field but the basics are still all the same!

So here are a couple of tips to get you started on getting traffic and keeping it:

1. Professional Logo
This is probably one of the first things that a surfer will notice when they get to your web page. It is usually placed at the top-left corner of your web page for best results… but anywhere within the first 200 pixels on your website will do. You should consider hiring someone to create an attractive logo that will be remembered. Remember that branding alone can give your company/web page a greater amount of publicity.

2. Header
The header is something in my opinion that could make or break your web page! I have seen some great elaborate header designs that left me with my jaw dropped on my desk and my eyes dripping out of their sockets. A beautiful header will definitely get some attention and surfers love to see them. Just make sure that it loads quickly and doesn’t distract too much from your page’s overall goals. Remember to include your company/page logo within the header because it will be the first spot that the eyes are drawn to once your page loads in their browser.

3. Colors
When using colors on a web page it is always good karma to use your common sense about your choices. I have never seen a successful website with a fuschia pink font over a bright yellow background. The reason isn’t because the colors are ridiculously radical, but it is because it hurts the eyes and makes it very hard to read. The best color themes to use are those of high contrast. Black on White, White on Black, Dark Blue on White, Dark Gray on Off-White. Try to keep your colors consistent throughout your website.

4. Navigation
Make it easy for surfers to find what they are looking for on your website. If the links to specific pages are hard to find when they come across your page then it is possible that they will give up and leave because 90% of surfers spend less than thirty seconds on a page before they decide whether it is worth their time. Easy navigation links at the top are guaranteed to work, and a sidebar on the left or right to compliment them will also produce results.

These are four very simple principles that I take into consideration every time I design a new web page and you should make sure that your page follows these guidelines. There are some rare cases that very bland ugly pages work, but it really depends on what type of audience you are marketing towards. Obviously a serious company CEO will see a website differently than a 15 year old girl socializing on myspace. You will have to cater to your target market!

Keep these things in mind when creating your website and you will notice the difference between a professional design and a free hosting template! In the next issue of the ‘ONE YEAR MILLIONAIRE‘ I am going to talk about web forums and how they can help build traffic to your website!