Making each website more than just a site

Making in depth plans and continuing to follow through on those plans for a long period of time. Every big site follows this path. I spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours working on seeing to it that my sites are growing and improving. My sites are investments in the future. The produce revenue, and if you don't water the garden, it doesn't grow!

Each website is a niche for blogging. If you have no problem with budget, you can outsource few writers and link builders for many sites. You join affiliate networks then embed your aff links to your websites.

A site is just another site online. You can get one but if you don't know how to get traffic to it, then it is worth 0.

You need to add the right affiliate programs that will get you the most bang for your buck and you also need to learn how to market it.

More than a just website?

Well, I've had about 5 of those Starbucks Refreshers now and I have some free time so here goes nothing *deep breath*

Here's how you turn an ordinary *yawn* website into a *gasp* amazing website.

#1 - Responsive
A website these days with the use of iPads, iPhones and mobile devices NEEDS to be responsive. A lot of people not only are using their home computers to search for service providers and companies but a lot of people are actually using their mobile devices as well.

Did you know your website looks different on a mobile device than it does on a desktop? This is because additional coding is needed to make your website compress automatically to specific screen sizes and while your website may look fantastic on a 1024x768 browser resolution, if you don't have a responsive design or code, it'll look rather annoying on a mobile or handheld device.

#2 - Mobile Design
While responsive design is great, you may also want to consider getting a completely different design JUST for mobile devices. I know someone right here from the forum that offers them at a very reasonable rate (at least I think he still offers them).

Usually this displays a compressed website with all of the essential information that a mobile browser may be looking for and at least the company services/contact information.

#3 - Design With Your Browsers In Mind
Sure, a dragon flying over a village leveling the town might make a totally badass website banner for you in your mindset, but what does a potential browser and customer think when they see that? Not only will it take a while to load for some people on older computers and connections but I doubt a lot of people share the same design ideals with you.

Try to look modern but be simplistic. You don't need to be "flash" fancy or to be too detailed with all of the graphics unless you're running a gaming oriented website, where they're more prone to appreciate the small details.

#4 - Design Your Site With Easy Navigation
Navigating around difficult websites is one of the top reasons for me to close something. If I'm looking for your services, I want to see a "Services" section on the top menu or the left-side menu (whatever preference you have). Either way, your services or the main focus of your website should be incredibly easy to find, even for the newest computer users.

#5 - Just A Reminder - WHOIS Protection
Did you know if you register a website with your personal details, that anyone can do a WHOIS background search on your website and find your personal information including your name, e-mail, phone number and address? This is why it's highly important to turn on WHOIS protection or register by proxy so that the information will be hidden.

I know Hostgator has an option in Billing that you can just click and it'll turn it on. I believe GoDaddy or some other providers charge you for it? I can't say for certain because I've only ever used one particular provider.

#6 - The Psychology Of Colors
I'm absolutely fascinated with psychology and how colors affect people. There have been numerous studies that show different colors on websites will have an impact on some people.

Green - This particular color usually intrigues people into whatever you're selling or at least helps. It'll be more prone to make people spend money.

Red - I believe this color puts people in an alerted phase and makes people on their toes. There's a reason most alarms are red

Blue - If I remember right, I believe this colors makes people feel at ease and more comfortable wherever they are. Look at Facebook, the reason he choose Blue for his "exclusivity" site isn't an accident and it wasn't a preference choice. Mark studied psychology and he knows that the color blue makes people feel safe.

#7 - Bevel And Emboss - AVOID IT
I understand not everyone is a master of Photoshop or graphic design, but please avoid using Bevel and Emboss, it's so 1990s. A lot of people like to use it for their logos or their banners but it looks a tad tacky to a web developer, web designer or graphic designer visiting the page.

#8 - KEEP INTERNET EXPLORER IN MIND
Internet Explorer is one of the biggest pains in the ass when developing a website. Trust me when I say, I wish that browser was eliminated from the internet and a lot of other developers will share my opinion.

I saw an info-graphic that labeled all of the browsers by comparing them to a weapon. Chrome was a Gatlin Gun, Firefox was a high powered assault rifle, Safari was a Civil War rifle and Internet Explorer was a one shot handheld pirate gun.

There are numerous hacks and fixes needed when you code a website to make everything look the same in Internet Explorer as it looks in Firefox and Chrome. IE9 has gotten better, but thankfully according to W3 Browser Statistics, the number of people using IE is going down every month.

Also, there is a small percentage of people using IE7 (Don't ask me why... they more than likely have no idea what the huge "UPDATE YOUR BROWSER PLEASE") notification means.

Great web design is so much more than the actual looks of your page, you have to ask yourself if your clients/customers can easily navigate around your site, if it delivers the quality you feel they'll want out of it and you always have to constantly ask yourself how the site can be improved. Don't just throw up a site just to have it up there, make sure it's something that you would be proud to call your own.

Now then, moving on from design, there's the actual inner working of the site which is the content.

Do you want to know the golden ticket and secret to making a website more than just a website (which there are billions of)?

It's... hold on...

*drum roll*

Are you ready?

QUALITY and UNIQUE content!

That's really it. There are so many people who launch websites just for the hell of it and just to have a website launched but do you know what there seems to be a severe shortage of? Compelling and engaging content that is written in the best interest of the client or the potential customers reading the site.

Don't do something you're not absolutely passionate about or something that you would ever want to give up because it's not bringing in the results you expected. (I'm guilty of this myself).

If you have an exit strategy, then you're not doing something you love.

Well, there's my thoughts for the moment on great design and making a website that's going to be more than JUST a website.

Corey

By creating a community around the site. Dig into your niche and give them a place to meet, to learn, to share and to feel a part of something, a community.