Home Sweet Home Page
The 5 Deadly Mistakes Authors, Speakers and Coaches Make with Their Website's Home Page and How To Fix Them!
By: Carma Spence-Pothitt
Published: Dec. 19, 2009
Format: Paperback: 73 pages
ISBN-10: 0557044332
Publisher: Lulu.com
"Your website's home page is it's most precious and valuable "real estate". The home page is like a virtual business card, a virtual storefront and a virtual greeting card all rolled into one", writes professional website designer Carma Spence-Pothitt, in her concise and idea packed book Home Sweet Home Page: The 5 Deadly Mistakes Authors, Speakers and Coaches Make with Their Website's Home Page and How To Fix Them!. The author describes the most common errors business and professional people make with their websites, why these mistakes are so costly, and how to repair them the right way.
Carma Spence-Pothitt recognizes the critical importance of a business website in general, and of a strong and compelling home page in particular. She treats a website home page in the same way as she would examine a bricks and mortar storefront or office design. The first impression made by a storefront, window display, or reception area create the same initial response as the first glance at a company home page. That crucial connections gives the author the insight to uncover the costly design flaws in countless business and professional websites.
For Carma Spence-Pothitt, those five key problem areas are:
* Lack of clarity
* Lack of professionalism
* Lack of an invitation to continue the conversation
* Lack of a reason to continue the conversation
* Bad copy on the page
Carma Spence-Pothitt (photo left) not only describes the most glaring issues on the home page, but she provides valuable advice on how to repair them effectively. The author begins with the obvious, but very often overlooked concept of establishing the purpose of the website. All too often, the business professional fails to isolate the goals of the site, leaving it without any clear direction. That lack of site clarity leads directly to the other major mistakes on the site as well. Without a clear vision of the site's role in the business, and how it will support the objectives of the company, the site will fail to produce the expected results. Carma Spence-Pothitt demonstrates how to create a strong mission statement for the website, providing the overall framework for building the home page and the rest of the website, to work toward fulfilling that mission.
For me, the power of the book, is how Carma Spence-Pothitt packs so much punch into a small volume. The book spends little time on frills, and is devoted entirely to identifying the problems found with business and professional home pages, and to creating their solutions. The book's focus and sparse design are, in many ways, a mirror of the ideal website as described by Carma Spence-Pothitt. She establishes her vision and purpose for the book, and follows logically and efficiently toward that goal. Having the layout of the book reflect the same logic, as the proposed solutions to website mistakes, demonstrates a clarity of purpose on the part of the author. The book can be read in one sitting, as is helpful for a busy business person. The valuable site mistake self assessment can be completed, and the solutions presented in the book, can be put into action immediately.
I highly recommend the valuable and action oriented book Home Sweet Home Page: The 5 Deadly Mistakes Authors, Speakers and Coaches Make with Their Website's Home Page and How To Fix Them! by Carma Spence-Pothitt, to anyone seeking to understand why their website isn't achieving its full potential as a business creation tool. By understanding the vital importance of the untapped power of the home page, to build reputation and increase business, this book serves its stated intentions very well.
Read the handy and practical book Home Sweet Home Page: The 5 Deadly Mistakes Authors, Speakers and Coaches Make with Their Website's Home Page and How To Fix Them! by Carma Spence-Pothitt, and put some real punch into your home page, while avoiding some of the most frequently occurring errors that haunt and weaken so many business and professional websites. The ideas and proven real world solutions offered in this book will go far to establishing your website, and its prime home page real estate, as a leader in your industry.
