Along with your image, you should also create a theme for your site. This is similar to your image, but goes a step further. Your theme is the overall look and feel of your site. It isn't what you're selling, it's the idea you're trying to get across. Yes, of course you want to sell your product or service, but having a site that screams, "HEY, BUY THIS!" isn't going to do it. You have to take a more subtle approach by having a site that first gives visitors what they really want -- free stuff -- and then says, "Hope you enjoy this useful information and, by the way, we just so happen to be selling such-and-such that relates to that information if you're interested." So, your theme then is what you will use to pull visitors into your site and encourage them to keep coming back by making every aspect of your site something they will benefit from. Therefore, everything on your site should revolve around this theme and shouldn't deviate from it. Let's use magazines to illustrate this point. Every magazine is published with the reader in mind. Everything in a magazine, from the look to the ads to the articles, encompasses the same theme and relates to the reader's interests. You wouldn't see an ad for motor oil in Vogue, nor would you see an article about new and exciting ways to apply mascara in Motorweek. Your site also needs to be organized and ready to navigate. It shouldn't be so confusing that you lose customers simply because they can't figure it out. It's the same idea as a store that is laid out in a confusing way. How crazy would it make you to shop at a grocery store where apples were in one section and bananas were clear across the other side of the store? Or one where cleaning products were interspersed with produce? That just doesn't make sense (not to mention that it's probably a health hazard). So, since your web site is the storefront of your online business, the way it's designed has to make sense, too. Even if your customer is interested in what you're selling, if they can't figure out how to find out more information on it or purchase it, they're going to get frustrated and decide against doing business with you. Also, as mentioned above, most people visit web sites to obtain free information. If that information isn't obvious on your site and they have to search for it, they're not going to waste their time. So make sure that your home page is laid out in a way that all buttons and links to other pages are visible and, once your site is up and running, ensure that the links are actually working.

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The copy on your site should also be clear, well written and easy to understand. Be concise and succinct. People who do business on the Internet usually do so because their time is limited. If they have the time to read a lot of copy, great, have a link to articles related to your business or industry and they can choose to read them if they're interested. But don't clutter your home page with unnecessary copy, forcing your customer to have to read through it all before figuring out what the site is about. Also, ensure that everything is spelled correctly and use proper grammar. Web site copy with tons of errors seems unprofessional and can hurt your image. If you're not a writer, or you just don't have confidence in your writing skills, you can hire someone to write your copy for you, although this could cost you some money. If you can't afford a professional, ask around and see if there's anyone you know who has writing skills but little experience and will help you more for the opportunity than for the money. Are you getting the idea yet that to have an effective web site for your online business, you have to give people what they want? So far we've established that what people want is something that benefits them and as much of that something as possible. When most people surf the web, they're not looking for something to spend their money on. They're looking for things that interest them. So don't think of your site as a sales letter or advertisement for your business. People don't want to visit your site and see a big picture of whatever you're selling staring them in the face with nothing else to offer them. They want to visit your site and see that you have more to give them than a sales pitch. They want to know that you are willing to give them what they want -- and give them more of it than your competitors will.