WordPress

Creating a WordPress website is not as easy as using a free theme, uploading some pictures and text, and then sitting around to wait for the sales to come in. As technology advances, web visitors have become more savvy and have a high expectations about who they do business with. If your WordPress website doesn’t follow these 7 guidelines, it could be the reason that you are not seeing significant traffic or sales.

Build your credibility using social proof

Building your credibility using social media can be very easy. Make sure that you are an active member of Facebook/ twitter/ meet-up or some other online community that your readers like and trust. For example if your WordPress website is about social media, make sure that you show buttons of how many people follow you on twitter and Facebook. If your target market is local, I would recommend using Meet-Up.com to build a local audience, and post your events on you WordPress website.

Don’t make people THINK!

As soon as visitors land on your website, if they don’t know what to do they will leave! So the message here is to be as clear as possible and keep your website clutter-free and ad free so that it is easy for your visitors to focus on your main offering. One big thing is to make sure that your website loads fast, visit http://tools.pingdom.com/fpt/ to check your website’s load time. Also make sure that your navigation is easy to read and follow, and use plenty of white space. The more that you make your visitors think, the less likely that they will stay on your website. Make it as simple as possible, remember KISS! Keep it simple silly!

Tell them what their pain is and how you can solve it

The simple fact that your visitor found your website means that they are looking for what you have, or a trusted friend sent them there. Now that they are there make sure that you connect with them and speak in their words. Tell them that you understand their pain, and that they are not alone, and how you can solve it. Remember to use emotion and explain what is in it for them.

Use the proper SEO to make your site visible

No matter how amazing and beautiful your website is, if nobody can find it, that does not do you or your target market any good. Make sure that you use the proper WordPress Plug-ins, as well as the right H1 tags, titles, keywords and tags to label your pages and posts. The All-In-One SEO pack and Platinum SEO plug-ins are both great to make sure that you use good SEO on each page. Using a good theme is also key because Google loves clean code and this single thing can boost your SEO. Also if you use images or videos make sure that they also have proper SEO settings.

Make your site EASY to share

One of the best things about WordPress is the huge community of people that are constantly reading and sharing content. Make sure that your website is easy to share using many social networks. I recommend using the “Share This” plugin to allow people to share your content on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn and more. Make sure that you pick the “classic” widget as this allows people to share your content without ever having to leave your page. The easier you make it for people to share, the more likely that you will get social shares and more visibility you will get.

Show your face and personality Remember people buy things from people that they LIKE and TRUST, so don’t hide yourself behind an e-mail address. Show them your face, and that you are a real human being. Make it easy to contact you by letting them know that you are available to help them in more than one way. People have different comfort levels with varying communication channels, so let them know that they can reach you in more than one way.

Make the mobile experience seamless Keep in mind that not everyone that comes to your website will be using a desktop. It is good practice to use a responsive WordPress theme to allow viewers with tablets or smartphones to see your website. Keep the pages to a minimum and post the most important information on your first page. If you are a local business publish your map and phone number where it is easy to click and call or click and get directions.

A good looking WordPress website does not guarantee results . . .

No matter how fabulous your website is and how fantastic it looks, if you don’t give people a clear call to action they will not do anything! Surprisingly enough, people like and want to be told what to do! Even on the Internet we need a bit of a pull that encourages us to take action and we like to be pointed in the right direction. So I highly recommend that you focus on a clear, very prominent and easy call to action! Make it something that they can’t miss. Make it completely obvious, and super simple, and don’t make people think! If they have to think and “figure it out” more than likely you will not get a good response. Do your absolute best to make it simple, and realize that even then, some people will still miss it!

Basic human psychology applied to your website

People will go to further distance to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. So make sure to highlight the pain it would cause them to not have your product or service. Make them feel it and visualize it and experience that unwanted pain. Don’t just go on and on about how great your product or service is, tell them what it can do for them and show them exactly what they need to do to get it! It is very important to have a single and definite purpose on each of your pages. Ask them to do one thing, and one thing only. Don’t create confusion or give people too many choices. Some people are indecisive and won’t make a choice when they feel overwhelmed or on the spot. Oh and remember to tell them what will happen afterwards. Sometimes people don’t take action because they don’t know what to expect next, if you take away that fear of the “unknown” it will make it much easier to move forward.

People already have a short attention span so don’t distract them!

Usually having ads, sliders, and other distractions and moving graphics will drive people away from your intended result. Even social media icons can be somewhat distracting and send people away from you instead of inviting them to stay on your site longer. The more “stuff” there is to click on, the more likely they will not give you their undivided attention. Give people one thing to do and highlight their pains and tell them how you can help them avoid them. Encourage them to take action by giving them specific instructions, while also creating a sense of urgency. People usually seek instant gratification on the internet so providing easy access to information that they are hungry for and not having a lot of clutter around is something they will be thankful for. A good example would be: Click Here to instantly download your copy of “Title of Book Goes Here” Now! Keep it simple. Don’t complicate it or over think it. One possible approach could be a choice, choices empower people make them feel like they are in control. If you have the ability to give your visitors a choice and single themselves out from a bigger crowd this will make them like feel like they actually belong there and you know how they feel and who they are. You will not have their attention for very long so be clear and tell them exactly what they need to do to take action. It’s ok to break it down into steps like:

Step 1: (Who? – You! ) Click Here
Step 2: ( What? – Download ) Download your copy
Step 3: ( When? Do it now!) NOW!

Remember to have big, bold, and clear call to actions, people can’t read your mind! Tell them to buy, or subscribe, or comment, or like, or follow. Make sure that there is no confusion about what they should do, and get a five year old to go to your site to see if they can figure it out, best usability testing ever! Simplicity matters. : )

Be the boss! That’s right, just tell it like it is. In a clear and direct way, feel confident that your directions will be followed. Keep it simple and make it on purpose!

7 Proven Facts to build WordPress Websites that Work & Convert