5 Keys to a Profitable Website

There are two types of websites on the Internet - those that make money and those that don't.

Obviously, if you're a "for profit" company, you'd rather be in the former category.

So what makes a website profitable?

In my opinion, there are five important keys:

1. Content - In my opinion, nothing is more important than the content on your website. This is where everything starts. Quality content is what will attract prospects to your website in the first place - and keep them coming back. Unfortunately, many websites have lousy content, very little content, or no content at all.

That is inexcusable, in this day and age. If you don't have the ability to write quality website content yourself, there are services that will do it for you affordably. articlecontentprovider.com is one of the more reliable services.

Whatever you do, don't have content on your site that confuses prospects.

If you sell pet supplies, don't have banners on your site advertising satellite television. Don't laugh. There are websites that do this. If you're going to have banners and advertising on your site, make sure they're relevant to the overall theme of your site.

For example, if you're a small business consultant, your site should have content that focuses on business tips and strategies for small businesses...period.

If you're a website designer, your site should focus on content your prospects can use to improve the design and functionality of their website. And if you're a lawyer, your site should focus on legal tips and strategies.

See my point?

Always be true to who and what you are, and don't confuse your prospects. Confused prospects don't buy!


2. Traffic - Traffic is the lifeblood of a profitable website. And nothing attracts traffic like quality, helpful, relevant content that focuses on solving the problems of your prospects. Focus on content, and the traffic will come.


3. Conversions - History tells us that on average 99% of prospects who visit your website won't purchase anything on the first visit. Again, that's an average. Your conversion ratio could be higher or lower. Obviously, the higher your conversion ratio, the greater your profits. However, the the overall design of your website and the strength of your sales content (copy) will determine your site's conversion ratio.


4. Follow-up - Because the great majority of prospects who visit your site won't purchase anything on their first visit, you must have a way to follow-up with your prospects. In my opinion, the best way to do that is with an interesting, informative newsletter. Use an opt-in form on your website to capture your prospects e-mail address. Just make sure you don't spam your prospects, and make it easy for them to opt-out of your mailing list.

There are numerous companies that provide a newsletter delivery service. Three of the best services include:

http://aweber.com/

http://constantcontact.com/

http://verticalresponse.com

5. Repeat Business - There's no two ways about it. Your business needs a repeat customer base to survive. Without it, your business will fail in the long run. Again, this is where well-written content comes into play. Follow up with your customers regularly, via an interesting, informative newsletter, like I mentioned earlier. Send out new offers regularly, and keep your customers informed about new and developing products.