Getting Started
It's time to check back in with Heirloom Woods, the real-life case study we've been following as an example of how to build a woodworking site that sells. Mike Glennon, the owner of Heirloom Woods, has been busy doing the necessary planning that goes into the creation of a successful website, and now he's ready to start building it.
A recap of the steps we went through is an excellent blueprint that you can use to develop your own site. For the background on each step, just follow the link to the full article.
STEP 1. Choose a narrow product focus. (Mike chose baby cradles as his focus.)
STEP 2. Research and decide on your keywords. Then, use them to build your site.
STEP 3. Register your own domain name. (Mike registered heirloom-woods.net) Find a recommended registrar here.
STEP 4. Choose a web host. I recommend WebWizards.
STEP 5. Think through how you expect to get potential customers to visit your website. (Mike, like most small woodworking businesses, will rely heavily on the free traffic he'll get from Internet search engines.)
OK. Now it's time to fire up your HTML editor and start making sawdust...
Splash Pages
When you first sit down in front of a blank computer screen to begin designing your homepage, you're immediately faced with the decision to using a "splash page" or not. As it turns out, this is a crucial decision. And, I believe there is only one right answer.
To clarify, a splash page (aka "entry page" or "doorway page") is an introductory page to your website. It emphasizes graphics (and sometimes audio) instead of text, setting the tone for the rest of your site. Typically, your customer must click on a splash page graphic in order to "enter" the rest of the website.
Many sites use splash pages.
For a small woodworking business, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot if you use a splash page. Here's why...
Why Splash Pages are Bad News
There are two big reasons that splash pages will hurt you if you want to sell your woodworking on the web.
FIRST, having a splash page will seriously damage your rankings in the search engines.
That's because the search engines rank web pages based on the text in those pages (duh!). Search engines want to give their customers (the people doing the search) the "best" pages that match the search terms. Generally, this means that pages with lots of text and frequent mentions of the search terms will rank the highest. Pages with graphics but not much text (i.e. splash pages) will rank low... even if the text matches the search terms!
Plus, did you know that only a few search engines even look at your keywords META tag? You have to put the keywords into the headlines and body copy of your homepage; you simply can't rely on the keywords tag.
Without good search engine rankings, you'll never get people to visit your site in the first place. So, it won't matter how nice your splash page looks.
SECOND, words sell, not graphics.
Keep in mind that web surfers are an impatient lot. You don't have time to ease into your story about what great products you have to offer. Nor should you ask potential customers to click yet again just to see what you want to sell them.
Here's a quote from the book I rely on to help me come up with the right words on my websites:
"If you want to sell more... use the right words. Because words sell, not graphics.
"Sure, graphics set the stage. After all, even written pearls can't make a garish, amateurish-looking site sell. But the right words can certainly overcome the handicap of a so-so look-and-feel. And the wrong words will destroy even the most expensive, professional-looking site."
(Quote courtesy of Make Your Words Sell. )
You don't have many chances to make your sales pitch, so don't squander your best opportunity--the first impression.
Stick to text-heavy homepages. You'll get higher search engine rankings and you'll make the sale.
