Webmaster Papers




Google
 
Web webhostingpapers.com




/pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">

Finger Eating Garage Door Reveals Breakthrough Web Design and Linking Strategy


Last Thursday afternoon I was working on a garage door and regrettably loosened the torsion spring too much. This spring is what relieves or neutralizes the weight of the garage door so the openers can work without burning out and so you don't have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to open it.

I released the door from the opener and it began closing way too quickly. As I rushed over to try and slow it's decent, I grabbed the handle with my left hand and was trying to grab anything with my right hand. Unfortunately, the only thing that got grabbed was my pinky finger ? two knuckles up. The 1000 lb. door came crashing down so hard it broke the glass in one of its sections.

When the dust cleared and the glass had stopped clinking- I looked over to see my finger clamped firmly and squashed flatly between two sections of the heavy wooden door. I had no one around, no other neighbors were home, and I was trapped, in lots of pain, and unable to get free or lift the door (what would you do?). I tried pulling my cell phone out of my pocket but inside the garage there was no signal.

I did the only thing I could ? I screamed for help through the broken glass?

Now, you may be wondering what in the world this painful story has to do with web design- but read on and I'll explain...

I yelled for what seemed forever, but in reality was maybe five minutes, yet no one came. Now, for a few minutes I thought to myself ? "I have a knife in my pocket- am I going to have to cut my own finger off to get free?" Seeing how flat it was crushed I didn't really think it had much chance of surviving that trauma anyway?

I wasn't that desperate quite yet and figured I should try calling for help again ? and here's where some recent training with internet marketing came in?( "What are you talking about, Bob?" you ask.)

Dan Kennedy always talks about "leading a customer through your site". Don't leave anything to chance. They want to be told exactly what to do next.

So as I stood there in gut wrenching pain, totally unable to move or get free, I thought to myself, "maybe people are hearing my cry for help, but don't know where it's coming from. It could be just echoing around the neighborhood?"

So in a last ditch effort, I started screaming (and I can be quite loud) "HELP! I'm trapped in a garage at 52 Lakeview Ave. and I need help NOW!" Within a minute or two about 5 guys came running down the street from somewhere (I don't know where) and up the driveway. The specific directions worked! They began trying to pry the door up but it had come off the track and was jammed. So their prying was only clamping the door sections even tighter on my finger. OUCH! So once again, I got specific.

I told 2 guys to stay out side-3 to come around back and come inside. I had 2 go to work on the pulleys on either side and get them back in the track, the other one called 911. After what seemed like ages, the door was back on track and lifted high enough to allow the finger to be finally pulled out from between the sections. Ugh. It was nasty looking, flatter than a pancake...(almost surreal)

Now, how does this relate to Web site design? It's very clear to me? In a matter of life and death (ok-life and death of a finger), nothing happened until I specifically yelled for help with exact directions where to come. I tried for five minutes screaming just for help- that didn't work. Only when I screamed the address where I was at and what the problem was, did I finally get a good response. Zero before, 5 after. Hey! That's a 500% increase!

We need to do the same thing with our web design and linking strategies. Specifics- Lead the client or potential client through the process step by step clearly. Use accurate keywords and descriptive text for all your links. Don't scream out generically, or they will never know where to go next. All they'll hear is a vacant echo, as they continue doing what they were doing before. And they'll probably end up someone else's client because they can't hone in on where the cry for action is coming from and where they need to go.

Miraculously, after being rushed to the hospital, blood had begun to flow back into the finger and x-rays revealed only a broken knuckle. Because it had been caught sideways, the tendons and nerves were preserved and not cut, aside from some numbness and pain, the finger is well on its way to a full recovery (Phew! Really glad I didn't cut it off now).

Moral of the story: Design your site and your linking strategies as if your life (or finger) depended on it. Be specific, be specific, and oh yeah, be specific.

Bob

Bob Volk, Founder of VolkNet Enterprises, is an Internet Entrepreneur and has started/co-founded many sites including http://volknet.com, http://seo-elite-services, and his newest venture, an automated link exchange program with a unique twist at http://Link-Blaster.com. He specializes in Web Site Design, Marketing, and SEO Consultation for both small and medium size businesses doing $30 - $40 million a year.

RELATED ARTICLES


Sales Versus Customer Oriented Websites
Should Generating Revenue From A Website Be The Prime Motivator?
Keep It Simple, Stupid: The Beauty of a Clean Cut Website
Don't knock it; "Keep It Simple, Stupid" is a great rule to live by. Nobody likes a website to "yell" at them, with blaring colors and flashing lights. Too many buttons will turn customers off. I had this problem with my homepage at http://www.antion.com. A colleague of mine, who makes a lot of money, pointed out the cluttered look of my site. I had worked so closely on every detail of the page; that I couldn't see it for what it was anymore.
Speed Up Or Lose Out! How To Improve Your Websites Download Speed
So your web site's online and you've got high rankings in the search engines attracting lots of visitors. But the statistics tell you most of them are leaving after viewing just one page, what's gone wrong?
Custom Website Design - 7 Steps to a More Professional Website
If you are trying to sell a product or service on your website, then it is important to make your site as professional as possible. You might think designing that your own website to look like a professional did so is a rather difficult proposition, however there are many tools online that will help you achieve professional looking design.
Web Marketing: Design Mistakes That Drive Customers Away In Droves
They may look cutting edge, but if you want a web site that contributes to your bottom line here are some design ideas you will want to avoid:
A Landing Page is Not an Order Page (and why it matters)
To explain my point I need to first confuse the issue a bit (you'll see why): While a landing page is not an order page, it can, and in many cases should, contain the order form.
Will You Site be a BIG SUCCESS. 7 Reasons Why It Might Not!
With so many new websites going up, it is hard sometimes to tell if your site will be a BIG SUCCESS or an unexpected flop? If you are unsure of whether or not your site will fly with visitors or crash and burn, this article is definitely for you. Now we all know the importance of great service, but if your website doesn't communicate this, then you could be headed for failure.
Website Design - Choosing Your Colors Wisely
Colors convey emotions and emotions heavily influence the decision-making process. Your choice of colors for your website should mirror the message and feeling you to hope to communicate to the viewer. Let's take a look at some colors and what they mean to you and your website. Blue - the color of stability
Web Design for Ecommerce
Your website is your tool for showing the online community an image of your Drop Ship retail business. Whether or not your business succeeds depends heavily on your website. If your website design is user-friendly, more visitors will purchase your products or subscribe to your newsletter. This will ensure that you are not wasting the time and money you spent attracting visitors to your website. It does not pay to drive large amounts of traffic to your website and have 99% of them leave due to poor content and navigation.
Professional Web Design Companies - How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off
Building a website that is exactly what you want and has all of the components you believe will impress customers is not easy. Your website needs to make searching and buying as easy as possible for your visitors and sometimes it is best to seek help on your website design. You may want to seek out a professional web design company to help you design your web pages so you can get started online. However, web design companies are notorious for quoting one thing and billing something significantly higher. What you need to do is know how you can avoid getting ripped off before you ever do so you can avoid the situation if at all possible. Read the following suggestions to help you avoid getting ripped off.
How Important is Content to a Successful Website
Content is the most important part of any website.
Quality Website Design At An Affordable Price
I always have people asking me if I know of anybody who can build them a website which is affordable but also professional looking. They want the website to be search engine friendly, there is no point in having a website if no one can see it, and fully optimised.
The Secrets to Successfully Learning Basic HTML
If you'd like to create/maintain a website, having some HTML knowledge is necessary in order to create a standard page on the web. Learning the HTML basics is easy and should take less than an hour.
No Matr How Goud The Infomation...
Typos, misspellings, hideous grammar, exclamation overkill and run-on sentences all undermine a Web site's message. Your reader will have to work too hard, and you won't have that reader long.
Essential Strategies To Make Your Web Copy Attractive To Your Target Audience
Reading on the web is different than reading in all other formats. People approach it differently and you need to have strategies that capitalize on those differences so you can connect with your prospects. Creating website copy that attracts your perfect clients, holds their attention and gets them to take action and connect with you should be your only goal when writing your website copy.
Custom Web Site Design Strategies
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved tremendously. More clients now are demanding custom design, as opposed to the 'cookie cutter' sites of yesteryear.
15 Website Elements That Attract Visitors
Here is a quick list of components that make a website attractive. They are listed in layers of attractiveness beginning with the "must" haves, to "nice to haves."
Give Your Web Wite Visitors What They Really Want - Information!
Surfing the internet is basically an information-fest! From intellectual discussions to the bizarre...people surf the internet for information more than products or services. Through sites that offer information -sales are generated indirectly which is perfect. By offering valuable information to your visitors, you start a marketing relationship just by creating value in your website.
Give People What They Want And Watch Your Profits Soar!
Do you know why the majority of people use the Internet?
Why Use a Web Design Template?
What is a Website Template?