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Shatter Your Ego
When asked what the most difficult challenge involved in online marketing and promotion was, here's what one veteran Internet marketer had to say:
"Even the most advanced, high-priced marketing campaign will fail if the website is lacking in quality and professionalism. I have actually turned away clients who are not willing to upgrade or even polish their sites to a higher standard. That's because no amount of marketing or promotion can make up for poor website quality and design. Those individuals who insist on trying to make a living online based on an amateur web presence are doomed to fail right from the start."
Harsh? Perhaps. But certainly realistic. The truth is, if you allow your ego to get in the way of conducting your online venture, you can't very well cry "foul" when that venture goes belly up.
So what exactly constitutes ego rather than professionalism? Ask yourself the following questions...
- Are there numerous animations and flashing banners on my website?
- Are the colors so harsh that viewers can't easily read text content?
- Does the background image resemble impressionist artwork rather than blend in subtly with the overall theme?
- Does my main index (home) page start with the words "Welcome to..."?
- Will the viewer find either of these phrases posted on my web pages: "Best viewed at..." or "Can only be viewed with..."?
- Are there more "I's" than "you's" within the text content?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, your ego is most likely more important to you than conducting your online business in a purely professional manner.
And the only thing that matters now is, what are you willing to do about it?
There are absolute proven methods of conducting business on the Internet. And none of them include creating a website based on ego-generated likes and dislikes. You either get on board with other professionals or you don't.
But be forewarned. If you allow your ego to dictate how you present your business venture to the world, be prepared to suffer the consequences. And in most instances, that equates to little or no financial gain.
There are no two ways about it. Your number one priority absolutely must be a website that contains clear and concise purpose as well as professional layout, design, and navigation.
The point is, you have to be dead serious about quality and professionalism, not how you "feel" about your own website. If you're not willing to adhere to this principle, then you might as well close out this ebook, shut off your computer, and go find a real job.
That's because...
No amount of marketing or promotion can make up for poor website quality and design.
Want proof? Go to any website owned and operated by today's most respected Internet business owners and you'll discover the highest level of professionalism. Basically, you'll find...
- Crisp, clean layout and design using black text on white or off-white.
- Clear and absolute purpose.
- Well-written, compelling sales copy.
- Convenient, easy-to-use ecommerce capability.
What you won't find is...
- Confusing and overbearing layout, design, or navigation.
- Numerous links leading viewers to outside websites.
- Distractions such as extraneous flashing banners and animations.
- Slow-loading pages and/or graphics.
Granted, there's always that natural tendency to create a website that is so visually appealing it could easily warrant a place in the Website Graphic Design Hall of Fame... especially if this is your very first website.
But that's not something you should consider right from the start. The only thing you should be concentrating on is the purpose of your website, not it's overall beauty.
That's not to say a clean and simple layout can't possess beauty as well. With the right design and color scheme even the most basic web page will look great. The important thing is to stay focused on intent.
Overall, that involves capturing the viewer's interest and then holding it long enough to "sell" them on whatever it is you happen to be promoting or marketing (product, service, information, etc.).
Of course, once you establish a solid online presence (generally over an extended period of time), you can certainly beef up your website in terms of visual enhancement. Take eBookHelper for example.
In the very beginning, layout and design were quite basic, the focus being on content and sales potential. More recently, the website was totally redesigned to include intense graphics within the layout itself. However...
...that wasn't until after the business itself was solid enough to warrant such changes. And even so, compared to other websites, eBookHelper could still be considered somewhat conservative when it comes to overall design.
If you feel as though you absolutely MUST create the most visually desirable website in the world, outfitted with all the latest bells and whistles, do yourself a favor. Satisfy that desire through a personal website.
Then, feel free to include that flashy "welcome to my life" intro, massive slide show photo album, guestbook, scrolling text, digital hit counter preset to 10,000... whatever happens to strike your fancy.
When it comes to your business venture, K.I.S.... K.I.P.... K.I.F.
Keep it simple... Keep it professional... Keep it focused.
If you're not willing to do that then you're not really serious about online success. Period.
Shatter Your Own Ego is an excerpt from Emarketing 4 Success, a comprehensive internet marketing course written by Maggie Lietz of
eBookHelper.com
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