| If you want to be taken seriously, particularly in the | | | | likely you'll go through some transitions before settling |
| online arena, your website must have a professional | | | | on a design and message that feels uniquely you. |
| look and feel. This article will give you 5 ways to give | | | | 3. Make your contact info prominent, and include a |
| your website a professional polish. If you want to be | | | | physical location. |
| taken seriously, particularly in the online arena, your | | | | People want to know that they can contact you if |
| website must have a professional look and feel. A | | | | they need to, and they don't want to have to search |
| professional-looking website will lend you credibility | | | | for this information, so don't hide it. Include your |
| and legitimacy, and it will make your visitor feel more | | | | email, phone number and physical location at the |
| confident in you, your products and your services. | | | | bottom of every page, and include an email address |
| Whether or not you have a designer or you go the | | | | link at the top of every page as well (incorporating it |
| DIY route, you want to make sure that you add the | | | | into your logo can work nicely). |
| following to make your website reflect the | | | | By law, any email marketing you do (ezines or other |
| professionalism of your business. | | | | broadcasts) must have a physical address displayed |
| 1. Have a dedicated domain for your website and | | | | within it. Don't use your home address or a PO Box if |
| your email. | | | | you can help it. Rent a mailbox from your local UPS |
| First and foremost, have a domain name that reflects | | | | store for about $12 a month and use "Suite" instead |
| the name of your business. For example, my business | | | | of PO Box. |
| is and my domain name is If you can't register your | | | | 4. KISS - Keep It Simply Sophisticated. |
| company's name, seriously consider changing it or | | | | By this I mean, keep your site clean and elegant. No |
| making it work so that you can register it. For | | | | flashing things, no annoying animated graphics, please. |
| example, if your company is "Your Life, Only Better" | | | | Give people the information they came for with |
| but is taken, you will avoid any conflicts down the | | | | simple navigation and easy to read text. |
| road if you rework your business name now. | | | | 5. Have an opt-in form for your freebie offering. |
| You can check availability and register domains at or | | | | Whether you have this on your site or not really |
| for as little as $6.95 per year. | | | | doesn't make you look more or less professional, |
| With registering a domain comes a dedicated email | | | | BUT - and this is a big BUT - you must capture |
| address that you can set up to work with your | | | | people when they visit your site if you want to be |
| current email software, such as Outlook. For | | | | able to SHOW them (through your ezine or other |
| example, one of my email addresses is It looks much | | | | freebie offering) that you are a professional and that |
| more professional that Nothing looks less professional | | | | you do know what you're doing. Nothing will make |
| than a Yahoo or Hotmail email address as your | | | | your visitors come to know you faster and learn to |
| business email. | | | | like and trust you than your continuing to "speak" to |
| 2. Have a really good logo. | | | | them. |
| This is important because it helps increase your | | | | Create a simple opt-in script and add it 'above the |
| credibility and makes you seem more real in the | | | | fold' on your website. Most hosting companies have |
| online world. It will also make you feel more legitimate | | | | these scripts available to you, or you can search |
| to have a tangible object attached to your | | | | online for a free script to enter into the code on |
| business.www. | | | | your website. |
| is a do-it-yourself site and it's cheap. If you can | | | | Are there sites that you visit often, just to see what |
| spend a little more, hire a designer to create it for | | | | that person or company is up to? Well, the same |
| you. A good source is where you can get a custom | | | | goes for your website. If your visitors like your site, |
| designed logo for $299. If you're new in business, | | | | they will come back over and over again to see |
| don't spend a ton of money here, though, as it's | | | | what YOU are up to. And isn't that what you want? |