Monday Marketing Tip: Is it just content?

So, we have been pumped all along how content is the king to attract readers and keep them loyal to your site, and ultimately your business. Whether it is a book you are trying to sell or just your book blog readership, we have been advised over and over about great content. No doubt about it. Poor content will not get you readers but is it only that?

Imagine you are searching for "Marketing tips for selling my book". Google spews out 100s of sites for you to learn the art but what do you actually read? You open up the first 4-5 pages on the first page of search results. Then you filter further based on: content on those sites and...surprise, the design of the website!

Yes, would you keep reading a website that doesn't even have its sidebar listed out well? Would you continue reading a website with bright blue background and yellow text on it? In all probability, no.

Do not lose potential followers by design issues. There are some simple and common errors that can be avoided in your website design. Here are a few:


  1. Cluttered layouts : Keep it simple. Do not clutter your website/blog with too many distracting pictures, text on your sidebars. Your potential reader is interested in the main text area. Sidebar are extras.
  2. Organized navigation: Keep it organized. For example, people expect your biography page under the page name "Bio" or "About Me" or "About Us" and not under "Contact Me" page. 
  3. Colorful text or unreadable text: White or light backgrounds and dark (mostly black) text is the best combination. It brings in clarity and is easy on eyes. 
  4. No Search capabilities: Never forget to include search in your website or blog. Its an essential function that readers expect on your website or blog especially if you have a lot of content to share. It is easy to include one and comes available with  most of the website/blog templates. Ensure it is on top of the page or sidebar for easy accessibility.

If you are designing your website or blog on your own, one of the best ways to ensure that you have a design that will not irk your readers is to check with your favorite websites. You would soon realize that you have subconsciously rejected the not so great looking websites. Don't let your readers reject yours. :)


Have you given a serious thoughts to your website design?


Photobucket

Comments

  1. ihsan34September 4, 2012 at 3:49 AM

    Woow what a blog. You post here very important news about web designing and web development. I personally appreciate your work. Your background image is very nice.Your header image is very beautiful and eye catching.
    pakistan web development company
    web design company pakistan
    web development services pakistan
    seo services company pakistan

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's In A Name?

I have both good news and bad news today. Good news is I am finally done with my romance novella that I had been working on since last month! So, that means I have nothing to do but turn it over to my publisher and pray that I don't have to edit too much. Now the bad news. After all the writing I did, I still haven't figured out a name! Isn't that incredible? I have tried hard but nothing really seems to fit it. And if it does fit, its been taken up. I have been crossing off quite a number of names off my list and now, I wonder if it really matters. What's in a name, eh? A good book title is like a magnet to the reader. That piques their interest. The visual hook if I might say. They give an indication to what might be inside. They give meaning to the story that is about to come. But with so many books releasing every week, how are we ever going to get a unique name for our books? I want to ask, how important is the name for you to buy a book? Would you buy a boo
READ MORE >>

Are We Hooked Yet?

Image
We readers are impatient. The cover page, synopsis at the back cover, the first page, the first line. We are always looking for the hook. Ever more so, if you are of the internet generation. We have just about 5-10 seconds attention span! Now imagine thousands of wonderful books trying to claim that attention of yours when you are in the bookstore. Well, out of the thousands good books, your attention bows to only about a handful. And finally about couple of books actually make it to the counter. Ever given a second thought to those hooks that actually captivated you? Below are some hooks that worked for me and I guess for lot others too! :) HP and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K.Rowling: "Mr. And Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange ormysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense." Twilight
READ MORE >>

My weekend dilemma - ebook or print?

Image
I know it is now 19th century to debate about printed vs ebooks but guess I am from 19th century for I just can't let go of the printed book. I dearly love the shiny covers, the not-so-fine paper and the printed word. Somehow I feel the worth of the book only after I feel its weight in my hands. As if the same book is an ebook, the author did not work as hard which is ridiculous but that is how I feel. So, this weekend I was faced with a very uncommon problem. The urge to read. No not a simple urge. That would be common. It was the strong, unavoidable pull to a book. I had to read a book, a romance novel and specifically a Mills and Boons (yeah I read them and I am not hiding it! They are a good break from the heavy stuff! :)). So, I scoured through my collection which isn't much due to my recent move from India and sat disappointed that I had none. Then I looked at my husband like a hopeful puppy for a quick trip to the bookstore, but he didn't buy it as he was work
READ MORE >>