I open a web browser. Five seconds later, I closed it. Why? Because I had a bad first impression. While you may be able to change people's minds in real life, that certainly is not true on the Internet. You do not need a website designed for a thousand dollars. All you need is a website that does not confuse the lead.

Banners and other forms advertising that you lend your website space too will not bring you extra income. It will have a contradictory effect as it gives very little credibility to your website. Flashing ones distract your lead and by the time she reads the banner, her mouse is already hovering above the [X] sign.

Your homepage is your welcome greeting. You must put across your voice of sincerity to help the lead solve his problems, so that she knows there is a real person behind the website and will browse through the website.

A common mistake here is that people put too many complimentary offers. You might think there is nothing wrong with that since you are proposing different solutions to her problem, but do you realize that you are confusing her? Studies have shown that customers are unlikely to buy when faced with too many alternatives too quickly to prevent themselves from making impulsive decisions.

Your homepage has only one purpose. Welcome the lead and invite her to browse through the information you provide in your other pages. Warming the customer up occurs in those pages and hard selling is not your job. Leave that to the merchants.

This is one of the most difficult skills to master as it will confuse the lead if done incorrectly. Since the lead is most probably searching for information on your website, your job is simply to do that. Your reward: the right to recommend her offers as she reads the information provided.

Two words. In-context links. Intercept your lead by providing her a recommendation of different products. Some marketers say you should only recommend on product at a time, but there are two benefits of providing a few.

Firstly, it will tell your lead that you are looking after her welfare by giving the pros and cons of each product. The second benefit is that psychologically, the lead will be more attracted to the first recommendation.

Lesson of the day is to never confuse your lead, instead make her decisions easier.