Just Because Your Dog Likes You, Doesn't Mean You're A Nice Guy.

Many people in business really are "nice guys", but some aren't. How can someone tell which group you're in? The web is a cold, seemingly uncaring place, and many people will not respond in a positive manner unless they develop a rapport with someone.

When someone meets you "face to face" they form an opinion of you. Good, bad or indifferent, at least it is an opinion. If someone visits a web site, whether they know it or not, they are forming an opinion. The majority of web sites engender an "indifferent" opinion. "Blah" comes to mind.

Some web pages are offered by the telephone companies as an add-on to the advertising they sell. These sites are hyped as free, but they really aren't, as you have to take out a certain size ad to get one. For the most part, in our opinion, they look as if they were created from a template. The only thing that appears to change is the business name, and the limited copy they allow. This is definite fit in the "Blah" category. Many people see a "lack luster" site, and since there is nothing to hold their interest, they click away. Why bother?

Then you have the bad sites. We've all seen examples of these. A web site fraught with misspelled words, or has a hodgepodge of different font sizes. It seemingly goes on forever, and you really have to hunt to find out what they're trying to say. Most people will simply leave without even trying.

Other bad sites, that take an eternity to load, may not ever be seen. People on the web are impatient, and if it is too slow to load, many won't wait around to see that magnificent image of the sunset on the home page.

We're not going to examine what makes a good page, as that is the subject of an entirely different discussion. What we are going to discuss is how to project that "nice guy" image.

A small picture of you goes a long way. Yes Virginia, not only is there a Santa Claus, but you will be dealing with a real live person. Is there proper contact information with a telephone number and a real physical address? How about guarantees? All of these go a long way to instilling confidence.

Are there any testimonials with contact information for the people making them? When writers do their thing, they always include glowing testimonials from people you can't contact. Do you really believe them - somehow I doubt it. A recommendation from "Harry in San Diego" does little to engender my confidence.

Now this can cause a sticky situation as many people would not want their email address listed on a web site. A smart merchant will allow you to email them to receive the testimonial list.

You really might be a nice guy, and your dog knows that, but to all others you have to prove it.