Why Ugly Sites Sell More Than Pretty Ones

What the heck is going on lately? Most internet websites I go to now, all I see are pretty graphics everywhere. I see moving images, I see crazy JAVA, things flying around.

Don't get me wrong, some of these graphics are truly amazing - I love to see them! But, that's the problem! I only love to look at them, when I'm done looking at them, I LEAVE! Lately, there's been a disturbing trend of everyone spending huge amounts of money on web graphics. The problem? There is NO proof that this really helps your sales!

As a matter of fact, one of my biggest money makers is a conulting service...

www.SingalMarketing.com/conultingte.html

...I put that page up in 5 minutes (after writing my copy). Believe it or not, but even being such a high priced service - that page converts about 2.5% - of course I get very targeted traffic...

LOOK AT HOW UGLY IT IS!!!

BUT, it has content! It has great copy, it's got my face, my voice and a great service - the ACTUAL key ingredients to making a website that sells...Now, the problem is that most people are very logical - you would THINK that a good looking site should sell more - it makes sense right?

You expect that a good looking site probably increases your credibility - I mean, come on, it shows your visitor that you REALLY mean business, yadda yadda yadda...But, again, look at MY site - I'm selling a high priced conulting service to business owners - I'm actually selling my expertise in the internet business world. Yet, the site design (or lack there of) seems to have NO influence.

Just so you know, I DID try a nice fancy design for that page. You want to know what happened to my conversion? It plummeted down to 1.4%! Now, that I've got your attention, let's look at why it is that a prettier site probably sells less:

1. More graphics take longer to load.

Not everyone has fast internet yet - actually, most people don't. No one wants to wait for hours for a site to upload!

2. More graphics distract your visitors from your message.

Your graphics can actually work against you because your visitors spend more time focusing on them than they do focusing on your copy! Remember, it's your COPY that sells - so if the visitor isn't reading the copy - he/she is NOT going to buy. Period.

3. Some visitors may not like the colors, you may be sending the wrong message to different cultures.

Just because YOU love the colors of your graphics and you love the color scheme of your website does NOT mean that your visitors do too. There it is, those are the three MAIN reason to keep your website AS neutral AS possible.

------------------------------------------------------
So, remember, PRETTY does NOT always equal more sales!
------------------------------------------------------

Ugly sites DO sell and will continue to do so. What matters is what you're selling, your own expertise, and your copy writing. In the end, the best way to know what works best for your visitors is to TEST, TEST, and TEST some more!

Until next time,

Anik Singal
http://www.AffiliateClassroom.com

This article is written by Anik Singal, founder of AffiliateClassroom.com. Anik Singal has developed his own affiliate system that helped him earn well over $10,000 in just 60 days. Now, he's looking for a few students to train one step at a time.

MORE RESOURCES

Basics of web design Helium The basics of web design would involve different aspects. Each of which can take some time. The concept of putting together a web site can ...

ShutterVoice

Manjunath Karat: Web Design Job Can Change the Lives of Poor People ShutterVoice Today, he is the favorite freelance designer in the region for companies who want to outsource web design jobs. As quoted by Manjunath Karat: “Because of my ...

Seer Press

Web design jobs changing the lives of poorest in the remotest of areas in India Seer Press Web design jobs have sneaked into rural India and this fact has been proved by Manjunath Karat, a twenty three old guy from Gopankoppa, Hebsur District in ...

Yellow7, Inc. Named as One of Texas' Most Dependable Web Design Firms PR-USA.net (press release) Over 2000 web design firms were contacted regarding the Texas list and the response was overwhelming. "We are pleased to have Yellow7 Inc. on this list," ... and more »

Houston Web Design Firm Moves to New Location PRLog.Org (press release) GlobalSpex, Inc. specializes in web design, internet marketing, search engine optimization, pay-per-click. Lean more at http://www.globalspex.com.

1&1 Internet Introduces Hosting Packages with Free Professional Web Design ... TMCnet Existing 1&1 customers are able to download both professional web design solutions for a special price, directly from their 1&1 Control Panel. ... and more »

Impact Media (blog)

BSolve IT Leading The Way for Northampton Web Design and SEO Prfire (press release) Specialising in all things internet from web design to search engine optimisation and search engine submissions, BSolve IT have established themselves as ... Outsource SEO services from a SEO Companylonad News SEO friendly website designMarket Press Release (press release) all 56 news articles »

SEO Services India is been enabled by SEO Professional Skydelinfotech PRLog.Org (press release) “Ethical SEO Service & Web Design was a perfect solution for my business to market globally, Service, Solution & Support what is the best with Skydel ... and more »

Award Winning Queen's Gate Mews: Web Design and Brand identity from GQ in ... PR-USA.net (press release) GQ Design in Saffron Walden were given a brief which was to create a brand and deliver a web design for the development that captured the bespoke style and ... and more »

Triad Web Design Named on Inc. 500, is the Fastest-Growing Web Design Company ... PR Newswire (press release) 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Triad Web Design, a professional services organization that provides web design, web marketing & search engine optimization consulting ... and more »

People Locator find anyone in the USA

RELATED WEB SITE DESIGN ARTICLES: Get FASTER Download Times By Making BIGGER Web Pages! As a webmaster you already know how important it is that your web pages download fast. In a nutshell, if your pages are slow, then you're losing visitors. Design With Purpose If your website is falling through the cracks, the chances are that the site has no message, no central core to build traffic or a core readership. Websites that try to do everything usually fail. Cool Web Design And Promotion Tips This article gives free tips on how to find a cheap website designer and free tips on website promotion services.Cheap website design services. 7 Ways of Building Customers Trust With Your Web Site When I purchase something from a web site I first check who is behind this site. If there is no contact information or anything about the owner of the site or his/her company I move on. Becoming A Website Designer The ability to create simple, attractive and functional web pages is a highly marketable skill. There is a huge and growing demand for websites and web content, especially for smaller organization who often can't afford to hire a full-service web design firm. Effective Web Design Usability Principles Website Design Usability Tips1. Getting to know about audience members. You want a site that has personality and quality content based on your audience taste. 6 Reason Why Web Templates Are Todays Trend As the Internet blooms at an alarming rate, so as the number of websites out there. Appearance, layout, presentation and loading times are just a few of the main essential characteristics of a successful website. 10 seconds is all it takes? (How to grab the attention of your audience with your web site) FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off and click to another site when they are forced to click their mouse more often than necessary.FACT: People who use the internet are usually those who are always on-the-go and don't want to spend time figuring out how to navigate any web site. Freelancers Bite Back! The Internet has seen an explosion in so called 'lance' sites. Their service are a sort of go between to bring together clients requiring projects with freelancer seeking work. Using CCS to Eliminate Tables CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities for improving web site designs, web page layouts and adding new features. The HTML code can be made shorter, cleaner and simpler by CSS resulting in faster loading of web pages, and making them more accessible to search engines. Does Your Website Induce Seizures? QUESTION: We promote our web site in all our ad campaigns, but according to my website statistics program, we are getting very few visitors who click past the first page. The site has a cool Flash introduction page that the designer said would impress visitors, but it doesn't seem to be working. Designing Beautiful Artist Websites - 12 Tips To Showcase Your Art 1. Who needs an artists website?Not everyone! If you are currently exhibiting in multiple high-end galleries and making a handsome income, a website may not be for you. Quality Web Copy is the Key to Success Many websites make the mistake of being all flash and no substance. Nothing irritates potential customers more than visiting your website hoping to find information and instead seeing only blinding color and flashing borders. Website Checklist 10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have .. Integrating Advertising into Your Web Design If you are going to be placing ads on your website, you'll want to put some thought into how you'll integrate them. Poor integration of ads into your website will cause visitors to click away fast. Give Your Website A Chance I often wonder how serious people are when it comes to their websites. I thought that most everyone knew that the phrase "Build it and they will come" no longer applies on the internet but I'm not sure how many people really believe it. Your Site Map: Spider Food or Just A Light Snack? Mechanical spiders have to eat. In fact, they usually have bigger appetites than the real-life spiders you squish under your shoe. The Best Simple Software For The Busy Webmaster Here are a few programs I can't do without. They're free, and make being a webmaster much easier. Why You Should Hire a Professional Website Designer Your web site should always adhere to standards!A professional web site designer will provide you with a standard compliant web site that is cross-browser supported.What does this mean to you? Why should you care? Any site that isn't standard compliant can "break" in older browsers, or simply not display at all in, say, text-based browsers. 14 Ways to Add Content to Your Web Site - Part 2 7. Create high quality content - make clear points with each paragraph you write.