Here’s something every web site owner should know. When visitors come to your site, they are looking for a reason to buy from you. Think that’s stating the obvious? You’d be surprised! I come across countless sites every day that do everything but give the visitor a reason to buy, subscribe, click, call or otherwise take action. It’s a fatal mistake in any business, but it’s especially damaging for web-based companies.

Let’s continue with our example of buying a computer desk. You start with the big three office-supply stores. You click the “office furniture” link, and you’re faced with a barrage of links to pages about lamps, printer stands, bookshelves and more. Then you get to the desks. Computer desks, desk collections, metal desks, workstations? geez! There are lots of links, but no information. Finally, after drudging through pages of links, you find some actual copy that describes a desk you think you might want.

You look over the features. You write down the price. You gather the shipping or delivery information. Great! Now, on to the next site.

When you arrive, everything looks almost the same except the logo. Same navigation, same links, same inventory, same prices. The shipping amount is the same, and the delivery policy is identical to the site you just came from. As you click from site to site, it’s like d