Great web design, design flow, the analytics of a website and how to analyze traffic flow.

This is part 8 of the 10 part eBook "Online Business Bible." You can get the entire eBook by joining our newsletter at http://www.gbizbuilders.com.

Of utmost important to a website is the layout. A good blocking or division of the space which is consistent throughout the website makes a good impression. Light, faint or small text can be especially difficult for a visitor. Flash, too much motion, and blinking letters can be an annoyance. Careful planning to site navigation, the use of design elements of your site (such as site organization, page layout, graphic content, video presentations, contact or other interactive forms, etc.) also should be carefully selected to give impact and purpose to the site.

Also, it is important to have a clear summary of what the purpose of the site is. This might be by a text description or it might simply be obvious from the entire headers and graphics of the site, but it's important not to make a visitor guess. Other items to make obvious are:

• Products or services displayed prominently and clearly. If applicable, have the price right with the product.
• Clearly defined links to other pages with more information. Links for "More Information" or "About Us" are good to have. Also, the information should be "above the fold". This means, on a lower resolution browser, the important information should be visible without the visitor needing to scroll.
• The flow of a website should take a vistitor through pertinent information, down or across, and funnel to a call to action.
• You need a clear marketing "call to action". A "call to action" in advertising and marketing refers to active copy that compels a user to take action. Typically the action is to purchase a product or take some step in your sales cycle that will hopefully lead to a sale.

Here are a few examples of common and effective "call to action" phrases:

• Call Now!
• For a limited time only
• Act now - offer expires May 15
• Join Now! Get a free e-book by joining our newsletter.
• For more info go here...

Utilize calls to action at the end of every topic, and constantly throughout the site. Be careful not to look to anxious, find a balance. In particular, do not use pop-ups.

Analytics and traffic flow:

A good web design company should be able to track the path a visitor takes from a starting page on your website. This can help you learn whether visitors are taking the paths you want them to take. Where confusion or "traffic jams" or bailouts occur. And more. Other website statistics include: unique visitor, bounce rate, time on site, and other statistics. From these statistics, fixes or redesigns can be decided.