Make text readable by search engines
Most of your page text needs to be typed as standard HTML which can be “read” by the search engine bots that regularly visit your site. The font must be available on nearly all computers. If a particular font is not available on someone’s computer, they will see it in a more common form (such as arial, Tahoma, Times New Roman).

Flash movies and images can’t be “read”, so any text contained in them does not count. This means that a completely Flash site might have horrible rank, making it less likely to draw visitors from organic search results. A site using images to display fancy text would face the same dismal results.  If vast majority of visitors don’t come from search engines, this is not as important.  Examples would be membership sites where only members are invited.

Searchable text must include targeted keywords, with an optimal “density” of 3-4% for each particular word or phrase. This means that if there are 200 words on a page that you want optimized for the phrase “black shoes”, you should try to incorporate that phrase 6-8 times. Any more than that and you may actually be penalized for “keyword spamming” by a search engine – lowering your rank rather than increasing it! 

Create distinct pages for each search term so that any single page might rank highly enough to appear within the first 3 pages of directory or S.E. results, even if it is not the actual home page. If you have several products or services, give each it’s own page where you can highlight the distinct terminology and characteristics. When the differences are slight, consider writing a page or article on one of them where you merely replace one possible keyword for another. For example, you may use the word “car” on one page and “auto” on another page.  Even then, you should edit the text to avoid a possible “duplicate content” penalty.

Utilize heading tags appropriately
HTML heading tags (h1, h2, etc.) carry more weight than standard text since their purpose is to show a hierarchy of importance. Try to work keywords into the highest level tag possible. Having headings and sub-headings also makes pages easier to browse by humans! Sample:
<h1>Main Heading</h1>
<p>Paragraph of text describing heading</p>
<h2>Sub Heading (work in some additional or secondary keywords)</h2>
<p>More text…</p>

This is a case where having a human web designer or at least good software is always preferable than most word processing web page generators. That’s because the word processor uses it’s own code instead of the standard heading tags favored by search engines.

Multiple subheadings, short paragraphs
Keep pages “skimmable” with the generous use of subheadings and white space. Make it easy to pick out important terms when visitors are quickly glancing at a page to see if it contains worthwhile material. They can then concentrate on sections of text that give the information they need. More meat and less filler! You can always link from there to ‘more details.’

Images on your website reinforce text for better conversion rates.  Pictures, photographs, graphics, diagrams all help visitors more quickly grasp your content.

Bring your site to life with images.

Slideshows reduce need for scrolling
For your home page or another page that you wish to keep clean and compact, a slideshow is a collection of two or more alternating images.  You can incorporate effects to transition from one image to another in a set or random order.  Besides showing your story, this is a simple way to bring your site to life with motion.  [Sample: http://www.pcvrc.com]

• Display products – show  samples of your work
• Examine a process -  give a visual tour of each stage of your service
• Text statements / quotes – complementary famous quotes, lists of accomplishments, awards, recognition
• Logos of affiliations – move through logos of your  professional affiliations, vendors, partners, customers or any groups that help build your credibility

Photo galleries tell your whole story
Set aside pages or portions of pages to providing enough photos to satisfy visitors and persuade them to get in touch.  A slideshow may be best for home page, but details pages can devote more space for all to display together.  Make it interactive so visitors can control what they want to view, clicking or mousing over thumbnails of their choice.   [Sample: http://www.jmweddingcreations.com/gallery.php]
• Show a process – include a storyboard from step one through step “x”
• Display o;ptions – show samples of each color, style, or other variation
• Multiple applications – Show samples of different ways to use the same product

Video can be casual
From a 20 second “Welcome” message to a 30 minute movie, allow the visitor to sit back and relax while you introduce your company or a particular product.  Decide whether to upload a movie viewer to your own server or just let the visitor open the movie with an application installed on their own machine.  The most  common client-side pluggins are Windows Movie Viewer and Quicktime.  [Sample: http://www.gndcollects.com]
• Automatically running welcome message on home or about page
• Video clips collection to allow viewing of any particular clip
• Longer movies should indicate their file size and length so the visitor can decide if they have enough time (or fast enough internet connection)
• Humorous video can entertain while explaining your message
• Include link to download (free) movie player in case visitor does not have one installed.  Never make assumptions about your visitors.

A good video can convey your ideas and demonstrate your product much more quickly and effectively than lengthy paragraphs of text.  Search Engines may reward sites with higher rankings, knowing that you’re more likely to please visitors. 
An excellent resource for online video marketing tips is http://www.ReelSEO.com

Flash presentations are fancy
Flash movies can contain a multitude of effects and can integrate video, graphics, still photos and text on a server-side platform, to be independent from the visitor’s computer configuration.  But costs can be greater to create and to change. Some web designers specialize in these sites or can create an individual flash movie for inclusion on “non-Flash” sites.

Keep the people happy
“Content is King!”  This has been the credo of web designers and SEO experts from day one.  Incorporate the “keywords” and “keyphrases” your visitors are searching for throughout the site.  Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines.  The most popular of these expressions must be included on your pages in various places.

With endless choices for any subject, your site must be customer focused.  Catch the attention of visitors within 3-8 seconds or they will try one of the other three million related sites, never to return again.  First impression is crucial, so choose your home page headlines, text, images and colors carefully. 

Capturing their attention within the first few seconds is most important, but you then have to make it easy to solve the problem that initially led them there.  The home page needs to concisely explain how you can help
them.  It needs to have a layout and navigation system where visitors will quickly realize that their answer is just one or two clicks away.  Don’t irritate them by requiring 4 or 5 clicks or by making it a game to guess
which links may have the most pertinent details. Even if they “get lucky”, they may not be able to stumble upon answers in the future.

Web surfers prefer to sell themselves.  In the real world, sales and marketing involves convincing prospects in person or via media to try what you’ve got.  It often includes playing to their emotions to close the deal. 
In the cyber world, there are so many website choices that surfers continue to look for “free stuff” whenever possible.  Without seeing each other face-to-face, it’s harder to play to the prospect’s emotions, so they know
that they have the upper hand in that they can decide against you in one click of a key.

Knowing that they control the situation, your site must offer what they want, not what you think they need.  Design the site from their point of view by providing complete information, answering logical questions, giving written and visual examples, displaying choices (such as colors and other options), displaying testimonials that people can relate to, and providing free samples!  When prospects feel that a website is tailored to their needs, they’ll bookmark it or take the next step towards becoming a customer.

Know your audience
Keep visitors comfortable by designing from their perspective.  Your site should reflect the values of your potential customers.  If they expect instructions or FAQ pages or multiple photos, meet or exceed these expectations. 

When you really prefer that they contact you for certain information (such as pricing or custom specifications) at least guarantee that the details will be provided without sales pressure.  Offering a free or discounted promotional item can also entice them to continue the process.  Give them what they want and they will return for more!