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'E-commerce businesses, even e-commerce specialists, have yet to realize that the WWW is first and foremost an emotional experience. Few websites reflect this important priority.'

I taught this concept at a seminar in the late 1990s and surprisingly it is still true today!

Most websites are still designed by a Joe Friday style web designer. 'Just the facts, Ma'am ' just the facts.' That worked well on Dragnet but it does not give your business the full opportunity it could have through your website.

Don't get me wrong ' I'm a proponent of easy to read and big stuff on top websites. I understand the importance of convenience and speed when someone is on your website hunting for some information. They usually want to get in and get out ' much as how men shop (when forced to') in real life.

Just as there are certain stores that you can walk into and feel comfortable while others make you tense ' it's also true of websites too. Stores do a number of things to make you feel good about being at their store. They understand that their goal is to get you to buy something and spend money. The quality of their products is important. Most important is price. So why not just leave it there and who cares about how you feel in that store? That's because retailers understand that you will stay longer, buy more and come again to a place that feels good. So what goes into a feel-good website? Check your website against this list'

1. Color ' Make sure your colors fit a palette. Many websites use colors that do not blend or compliment each other. They clash with noise that's equivalent to a child crying. Colors should also coordinate with your logo ' and hopefully you've chosen that well too! Look at the color trends in home decorating. That will help you know what's going to feel normal to people right now. Finally colors should be something you could reasonably find in nature ' unless you're selling alien software or Goth clothing.

2. Words ' Use clear English and terms that most people understand. While most people may have a high school or better education in North America ' it is true that using the vocabulary of grade five or six is where people's actual reading level is typical in everyday life. Save the big words for the tech manuals that nobody reads unless it is an emergency.

3. Space ' The temptation is to use every bit of space and to load it to the max. It's as if web designers only built high-rise condos. The websites are populated with too much information organized too tightly. The website visitor gets overwhelmed and says goodbye.

4. Graphics ' Choose friendly graphics. Sharp edges may look clean and tidy but they can also seem sharp ' like you're going to cut yourself if you got too close. Make sure you have some friendly circles in the equation.

5. Navigation ' Make it easy for people to make choices. Have a number of points of navigation available. That will allow people to get where they want to go more quickly. It's like beaming them over to the section of the store they want to visit instead of having to walk a very long way to the back corner.

6. Contact Us ' Often people just want to talk to you, email you or come to see you. Have your basic contact information on the home page. Have a second page with 'Contact Us' clearly marked. Hyperlink your email address so one click creates an email. Use drop down boxes to fill in the information for your customer rather than them typing standard information like States and Provinces or model numbers on your product. Be sure to give them hours and phone numbers too. If you're a location people visit ' include a map.

So next time you review your website ' make sure you feel it as well as know that what's there makes sense. It will make visitors to your website feel better about your website and your company. Remember ' websites are first and foremost and emotional experience'I've heard that somewhere...