WEBSITES I want to spend some time discussing websites...but before we begin I would like to start with a quote from Albert Einstein;  "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Those are powerful words, and very true. For we know that if we can dream it, it can become a reality, so the burden then becomes, how big can we dream? In today's world, if a business is to succeed to the max, and that's what we all want, right, it is necessary to have a presence on the internet. Websites are very inexpensive to have, are advertising giants, and can greatly increase any company's profits. It sounds like a no brainer then, develop a website, right? Keep in mind that if your website is to be successful it should not be stagnate, that is, it should always be changing in order to keep up with the ever-changing world we live in - particularly, the Internet world!                                               In designing a website you should keep in mind its purpose, and that is to attract traffic and hopefully get customers and/or clients. Right? This venture is not any different than others. As in any aspect of life the Laws of Attraction are at work here. Start with your vision and then set the goals that you will need to accomplish in order to make that vision a reality. You begin by setting your goals, then believing you will attain those goals, all the while you are doing whatever you can to make your website the best it can be, and then you simply reap the rewards of your efforts. Start by being creative and inventive, but at the same time, keeping your site looking professional. There are some elements that are absolute requirements for any website. Most websites dedicate an entire page to explaining "who they are, and what they are about." This is the ABOUT US page. This is where you are likely to find a company's mission statement posted. Your visitors want to know you, who it is that they are, or will be dealing with. That is not to say that they want to know you personally, but rather, they need to know enough in order to feel confident in their choices about doing business with you.  Essentially, they are looking for credibility -- give them reasons to trust you! It is imperative that you include testimonials. Why? Testimonials help to put your visitors at ease. They will begin to trust you and believe in what you are offering.  By providing testimonials you are establishing the fact that your product or service is valued by others, which builds your credibility. Be sure that you include a very clear and concise privacy statement. Anyplace that you request personal information about your prospect, add your privacy statement. Make it very clear and simply stated. Your prospects can then give you the requested information without the worry that unsolicited emails will be sent to them because they complied with your request. Again - the trust factor! If you include a sign up page or form for anything, be sure to give instructions. You may need to do more than show a form to get it filled in and submitted. Get the idea? Be specific. At the top of each form you should say exactly what it is for, then tell them what action they need to take to get the desired result. A strong guarantee that is specific can help to put your visitors at ease. They may begin to feel a little less like your only goal is to get their money and that you really care if they like your product/service!  Don't worry about making it too detailed...that can be difficult. The more bold you are with your guarantee, the more sales you will make. The longer, the better. Your prospect will feel more secure about making a purchase if you are confident enough to offer a guarantee. Another important component is a merchant account. Your prospects will have more confidence in buying from you if you appear to be credible and established. Most people appreciate the convenience of making purchases with a debit or credit card as opposed to writing checks or money orders and dealing with the hassle of mailing that to you. Contact information should be prominently displayed. Your visitors should be privy to your name, your position in the business, and a physical address. It is also essential that you provide an email address and a phone number. A fax number is helpful, but not required. Another important use of your website is using it to announce to all visitors your logo and any slogans that you may use. For example, a business, Classy Travel, uses the slogan, "Taking the nation on vacation!" That slogan is proudly displayed on the website, along with the domain name. Keep in mind that the end result you are seeking is traffic, and the more traffic the better! Depending on what statistics you decide to believe, it is estimated that you will average one - three sales per every 100 visitors. That's why it is very important to have a lot of traffic! There are various ways to promote your website, which includes ad campaigns, Pay Per Click, leads, classified ads, postcard campaigns, etc. But one of the most vital links to your site gaining popularity is determined by the ranking your site receives through the search engines. Obviously, you do need to submit to the search engines. There are a few basic keys to getting a good ranking with the search engines.  Let's start with the Page Title. That may be the most important element of an individual webpage. The page title is a search engine's first indication of the contents of the page. Search engines do not recognize graphics so it is recommended that you use those minimally or at least be sure to support the graphic with text. It is also good to use a descriptive summary - page heading - placed above the content. Capture keywords in your heading and throughout your content. The topic of keywords can take some time to understand so the next issue of this ezine will be dedicated to the topic of keywords. In closing I'll end with another quote, this one is from Zig Ziglar "What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you will become by reaching your destination." Keep that in mind when you're having one of those days, you know the kind I mean, the money isn't coming in and things aren't going right, don't give up! Keep your long-term vision in sight. Take time to give it some thought on a daily basis. "Feel" the excitement and joy that you will delight in when you accomplish your goals. That day will come if you keep on course. ************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************** QUICK TIPS   When developing a website it is a good idea to research your keywords before starting.  Keywords are the terms that users utilize when searching for a topic.  Keywords should be peppered throughout the content as well as included in the heading and titles if possible.  Many books have been written on the complicated matters that can be associated with working with keywords.   It's not difficult to come up with words to associate with your site, the difficult part is making those keywords "work" for you.  It's important to remember that one of the primary purposes of a website is to generate an income, or to generate multiple streams of income.  This can be accomplished in several different ways.  If you have a product of your own to sell that will be your number one focus.  You can also make a good income from selling other people's products.  You simply sign up to an affiliate program (which should be free), and promote a product for someone else.  When a sale is made through your efforts you will receive a commission.  Other sources of income can be through Adsense ads.  Those are the Google ads that you see on websites.  You can join that program for free, the ads will be placed on your site(s), and if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase - bingo, you make a profit!  Then there's the use of articles.  Articles in and of themselves may not seem like a money maker, but articles provide information and people are "hungry" for quality information.  So if you provide that you are providing a service that will be appreciated.  That will get you noticed!  Being noticed can lead to sales of your products and sign ups for your newsletter.  You can also use Google Adwords to encourage traffic.  But beware, this program is not free.  And if you don't know what you're doing it can get very expensive, very quickly.  You should definitely do some research before you begin a pay-per-click campaign. Diva Deb incorporates the Law of Attraction into her life on a daily basis. Deb would like to share what she considers to be some of the most powerful teachings in existence. This is what makes the difference in success or failure. Through the Law of Attraction you can and will attract whatever you think about. It is true, we create our own future through our thoughts today. Check out Diva Deb’s Law of Attraction site. You’ll find a FREE ebook download there. http://www.LawofAttraction.InternetDivaDeb.com