I have found the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or if you prefer the best marketing tool that will help all website owners have better success. Anyone who is looking to improve the way their site works/performs without investing in a professional report can easily find any and all current issues with that site by doing quick and easy research of what users go through when surfing their sites.



Find five to ten users who have never been to your site. Offer them some great bonuses like any e-books or software that you have resale rights to and then put these people to work for you. These people should ideally be your target demographic: age, lifestyle, income, etc. Ask them to perform a set of tasks on the website - tasks that you'd expect your average visitor to accomplish. Observe them carefully, ask them to talk out loud as they perform the tasks and make sure you right down what is going on and what they are saying even record them if you have to (ask permission first). Don't guide them or lead them in any way, and don't answer any of their questions. Again, make sure that you write down everything that you witness during this exercise. In other words spy on them through a glass mirror.

You'll be amazed at what you can learn. This will be better, hands down that any official report or theoretical discussion in comparison to watching a user get frustrated and click away from a site. These little do it yourself research analysts are the best tool at interpreting the best and worst aspects of your site. Remember when all is said and done it's the human factor that will decide if you will be successful with your site. It's a very easy way for anyone to find out what is wrong with a website and it's basically free. Remember that old saying. ?If you want something done right do it yourself?.

Why do all this? First of all, if you don't take the time to research before you go into business you might as well not even try. If you don't know your customers, if you don't plan for the possible glitches and questions, you are doomed to fail. Why would you spend thousands of dollars paying some company to do this when you can do it hands on and really be sure that it's some BS report that was written by someone with a lot of experience? Do the work now so that you don't have to fix, repair or start over after it's too late to do so.