Is your website well organized? Is it easy to use?

The quickest way to lose a customer is to let them get lost in your site. The number one reason why someone leaves a website is that they can't find what they are looking for. It is essential to organize your site in a way that follows the theme you are trying to promote. It should be a natural choice, and users should know which link or button to click to learn more or order your product and services.

A good method for testing how easy it is to navigate your site, is to ask people who've never seen it before to go on and try to find some specific information, while you peer over their shoulder.  This can be a quick way to discover poorly designed or misleading navigation links, or problems with the site's organization.

Here are some key tips and pitfalls:

Keep it inside: 
A common mistake made by web designers is to offer a link on the first page of the site that will take people out of your site and to some other page. Ensure all third party links open in a separate window so people can easily get back to your site.

Keep it simple: 
Big scientific or technical terms will turn your audience off. What good are they if people reading your page cannot understand what it is you are trying to sell.

Keep it truthful:
Don't try to deceive your visitors.  Make sure they know what it is you are selling, promoting or giving away.

Keep it fast:
Most visitors still do not have high speed internet. Use graphics sparingly to illustrate your point or product and keep in mind that 30 seconds waiting seems like an eternity to potential customers. Keep the graphics small so the page will load quickly.

Keep it informative:
Savvy web users want information that is well presented and easy to find.

Keep it polite:
Don't ask for too much information. People do not like receiving unwanted e-mails. Make sure the visitor knows what the information they are giving is going to be used for. Do you need their date of birth? Do you need their gender? Think about the information you're asking for, and ask yourself, would I want to give this information out?

Keep it correct: 
Nothing casts doubt like a website that has spelling errors or misplaced links. Your visitors are going to wonder about doing business with you.

Keep it search engine friendly: 
Understand what technology you are using and the impact it may have on search engines and your ranking.