It’s hard for an author or speaker today to effectively promote their book or their speaking services without a website, even if they don’t do a lot of sales on-line.   Yet, the importance of a good website is lost in the continued belief that purchasing a pre-made template or hiring someone cheap off Craig’s list will do the trick. 

There is certainly no need to have a flashy or complicated website, you should make sure to put your site through a number of tests to make sure it is up to par.  Competition on the Internet can be fierce with the economy becoming more and more global and more people and companies using websites as part of their marketing strategy. 

On the Internet, it’s all about the first impression.  And that impression can last less than a minute as click happy page viewers come and go.  How would you rate your website in the following areas?

1.    Do People Know Where They Are Right Away? 

Do you have a logo that can be seen right away and that can visually describe the nature of your business?  People will see before they read, so you need to grab their attention right away.  Make sure you use a wide variety of pictures and images to convey the result people will get from using your services. 

Words are important as well, though, so make sure your company name is clearly visible immediately and that you have a tagline that tells people what you do.  In addition, every page should include a strong title that conveys immediately where your viewer is and what they can expect to see. 

Try to be unique on your website, but never be modest or assume your customer will sell themselves.  Let your future customers know who you are and what you stand for right up front. 

2.    Have you checked out your computer on various viewing platforms and browsers?

In the world of computers, nothing is created equal.  What looks great on Firefox might be a mess on Windows Explorer, and even on different versions of each.  Make sure you check.  Ask people you know and trust to view your website on at least 5 different monitor sizes, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, and on PC as well as MAC computers.

If your customers use mobile internet, you will want to check several phones as well, including iPhone and Blackberry.  You may be surprised at how different your site looks on all the platforms.  

3.    How functional is your website?

There is nothing more annoying to a page viewer than to sit and wait for a page to load. In most cases, that potential customer clicks away before even seeing what you have to offer and becomes a former potential customer before you know it. 

Take the time to go through your entire website page by page as though you were     your ideal customer.  How quickly do your pages load?  If there is a link, does it work and does it go to where you expected it to?  Are there any grammatical errors present or spelling errors in any of the content?  Is your contact information readily available? 

The reason to go through the Website Reality Test is to ensure that your potential customers are not driven away but instead are welcomed into your website.  Make it easy for them to get around your site, find what they want (and what you’re selling) and become your customer. 

Make sure to stop by ProfessionalSpeakerPromotionOnline.com to find many other resources for successfully promoting your professional speaker career online.