Internet Marketing Podcast, Web Usability Blog - Intuitive Websites

Cluttered Websites: Amazon.com

When is a Website too cluttered? One of the comments we often hear about very successful ecommerce Websites is that they are too cluttered. Why is this? Take Amazon.com. Why do people that evaluate Amazon say it is too cluttered, but at the same time buy from Amazon in very large numbers with relative ease? Amazon has dozens of product categories and dozens of options on each Web page. How can they make such a cluttered Website be one of the most popular on the Web? It has to do with our culture for shopping. Think about all the clutter at your local grocery store. We have become accustomed to this level of clutter and it has developed two types of online shoppers. The first is the browser, who will casually scroll through page after page looking for something that catches their interest. The second type of buyer is the bull’s eye buyer. They know exactly what they want and go searching for it.

Add comment December 17th, 2005

Website Branding

One critical strategy of Internet marketing is the use of a Website to develop your brand.  This strategy is difficult to work with at times because branding often confuses people.  The term “brand” or “branding” has many different meanings in the world of marketing, especially online.  Here is an easy way to think about your brand.  Your brand is what people think when they experience your Website or your company in general.  Your target market defines your brand.  If you asked, “What do you think of our Website?” Their response is your brand. 

Website visitors make no distinction between a company’s Website and the business itself.  Your Website is your business in their minds, so your Website is a strong part of your brand and speaks volumes to your target market.  Therefore, how you set up your Website goes a long way toward developing your brand.  A poor Website does more than disappoint visitors; it impacts your brand and may be sending potential customers to your competitors.

Don’t take your Website lightly.  Take a look at how many visitors are coming to the Website and consider the impact on your brand.  Follow our ideas and suggestions on this blog and on our Website to learn how to develop a Website that strengthens your brand by placing positive thoughts in the minds of your visitors resulting in a great branding strategy for your business.

 Tom

Add comment December 6th, 2005