Las Vegas Business Solutions - Web Design - Hosting

How and why do you surf the 'Net?

Do you turn on your computer, open your browser, then
scratch your head and wonder, "Hmm? what I should look for
today?"

Hardly.

I'll bet you dollars to donuts you've got specific goals in
mind when you surf the 'Net.

Imagine for a moment that you gained a couple pounds over
Thanksgiving. You're concerned that the fast-approaching
Christmas feast, may have you wearing a mumu on Maui this
January.

There's no way you're going to let that happen, so you
decide to research treadmills on the 'Net. Naturally, you
start at Google.com, and type in 'treadmills'. You click on
a link that reads 'Treadmill Buyers Guide - Unbeatable Low
Prices & Expert Info, Buy Direct and Save 40% - 45%'.

Would it frustrate you to land on a page that has no
information about treadmills, and no obvious way to get to
that information?

What about when you have to click on several links?

First you click on 'Sports', then 'Running', then back up
when you don't see 'Treadmills' under 'Running'. Finally
after 10 clicks you find the 'Treadmill' page listed under
'Fitness Equipment', which for some reason has different
stuff than 'Sports Equipment'. There are 3 treadmills listed
on the page, so back you go to Google.

Fortunately, searching at Google gives much better results
than depicted above.

Indeed, when searching for 'treadmills' at Google, the first
page of search engine results all go to pages specifically
about treadmills. Nearly all the natural and sponsored
listings belong to sites that sell just treadmills, or are
sports equipment sites.

So why is it that many newbie webmasters think that building
an all-purpose super mall, that sells everything and
anything, will bring them fame and fortune, and save them
the work of having to build multiple sites?

The answer to that question is beyond me. Those sites just
don't get found, unless their name is Yahoo!, Epinions,
ConsumerSearch or About.com. And if a site doesn't get
found, it certainly doesn't get famous.

As for saving time by building only one site ? what a pipe
dream! Building a 1-stop shopping directory site with
universal appeal and umpteen hundred categories, requires
umpteen hundred pages. That takes time - lots and LOTS of
time? unless you've got a Yahoo!-sized staff and advertising
budget.

Lacking that type of investment, your best bet is to focus
on a single theme. A five-to-ten page site that is
easy-to-navigate with excellent reviews and information
beats out a willy-nilly mall site every day of the week.

So put yourself in your customers' (running) shoes, and give
them treadmills when they want treadmills.

© Copyright Rosalind Gardner, All Rights Reserved.