TAGLINES: Overblown or Underrated?

Believe it or not, a solid tagline can greatly enhance your site. Visitors actually use them--and let me tell you why you should too.

A useful tagline makes your site more usable. After all, you have only seconds to connect with your target audience when they first reach your site and a carefully crafted tagline will help quickly communicate who you are, what you do and how you can help them.

Double the benefits from your tagline by incorporating a keyword into it and thereby increasing its visibility on the search engines. (See "Two Word Phrases" below for more information on keywords and search engines.)

Don't put tackling your tagline at the bottom of your to do list. Creating a tagline that your visitors will respond to is easier than you think. The key is to focus less on using jargon or creating a jingle, and more on being clear and concise.

Learn more about why you need a usable tagline and how to write one:

• Wordbiz: Top tips for Web site taglines... [http://www.wdfm.com/marketing-tips/taglines.php]

Once you have your tagline, check it against this resource. If all the words in your tagline can be found here, start over:

• Interactive Jargon Buster [http://www.interactivejargonguide.org/]

TWO WORD PHRASES: Most People Search Using Two Word Phrases

Taglines help visitors after they find your site. As you know, often how they find it is through a search engine. A recent survey conducted by OneStat shows that 29.22% percent of people use two word phrases in their searches. This is followed closely by one word phrases (24.76%) and three word phrases (24.33%).

• OneStat: Most people use 2 word phrases in search engines [http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox20.html]

To make sure your site can be found, choose the two words in your keyword phrases carefully. The words you select can be the difference between having the right people find your site and the wrong people find your site.

If you're not taking advantage of search engine marketing and using keywords on your site, I have two words for you... get started!

• POP: Search Engine Marketing Made Simple [http://www.popinteractive.com/webinsights/20021004.asp]

ALL YOUR LINKS: The Key to Your Site

Keywords aren't just for search engines anymore. By now you are painfully aware that visitors like to scan rather than read your pages. This means your links too. So if your links don't begin with the right words--keywords-- your navigation is not nearly as effective as it could be.

Ask yourself what your visitors see when they scan your links. If what they see looks something like this, its time to update your link language:

- Company Name about info
- More information
- View information
- Visit page
- Click here

Keep in mind, when it comes to left sidebar navigation links, visitors often scan the first word. If your site includes this type of navigation, make sure your visitors aren't seeing something like this:

- Company Name
- More
- View
- Visit
- Click

To better understand just how important the words you choose for your links are and how to improve yours, I recommend the following article:

• UIE: Scent of a Link [http://www.uie.com/Articles/getting_confidence.htm]