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BLINDED!
by Mike Valentine
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The sparkling brilliance of the internet can sometimes be
so bright that it is blinding. Everything is new and shiny,
wonderful and promising on the web. It doesn't cost much in
either time or money to get started online with exposure
for your business that is available to the world! Everyone
will come clamoring to your doorstep as soon as you turn on
that glowing neon "Open for Business" sign.
You are justifiably proud of your hard work and you have
polished and highlighted all of the important points you
have to make and posted beautiful photographs and glowing
testimonials about your products and services on your site.
You have done it all yourself, studying the techniques of
the web and submitting to all the search engines and web
directories. Now it is perfect, a sight to behold available
to the world wide web.
Now what? Go get a second opinion! Not everybody will
love what you have to offer! Even though you've worked hard
to create the perfect web site. Find an expert and seek out
their advice and get ready to hear a little criticism! Why?
Because you've been blinded by all of that brilliance! You
are too close to it to be objective. You've got your nose
six inches away from a tree trunk and can't see the forest
around you!
After going through this scenario myself, just this week,
I can tell you that it is humbling. I sought out the advice
of this weeks guest columnist, Ron Scheer. He reviewed my
site and returned with some insights that startled me and
others that confirmed nagging doubts I've had for some time
about weaknesses that I just didn't want to admit.
Many of you have taken the time to review the offerings at
WebSite101 and liked it enough to send your friends. That
is how we continue to grow and learn and improve what is
offered on our pages. As I learn new techniques and gain
new insights, I pass them along to this list to help you
do the same if you haven't already learned them yourself.
Well if you like the look and feel of WebSite101 now, I
invite you to return over the next few weeks and watch a
transformation take place. Dr. Scheer has made a list of
recommendations that will dramatically improve the site!
When you invite a professional to review your site and he
gives you some solid advice, it's best to take it to heart
and use that advice to make adjustments, improvements and
overhauls. I even got a second opinion on his second
opinion!
A friend of mine is a professional copywriter who has
done some very respectable work. She reviewed Ron Scheer's
suggestions and confirmed what he had to say. Friends and
family are not the best source of constructive criticism.
She had seen it before and had complimented me on the site.
Seek out an unbiased professsional that can give you your
money's worth. They're not very likely to say, "That's very
nice, dear." That's nice to hear, but it's another kind of
blindness.
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WebSite101 "Reading List" Weekly Netrepreneur Tip Sheet
Weekly Ezine emphasizing small business on the Internet
http://website101.com/arch/
e-tutorial online at:http://website101.com/shortcourse.html
By week's end you're ready expand your business to the web!
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