--> The Problem

Your friend recommends a website and when you load it up, what
you encounter is a big blob of text that cries BORING!

Most of us have had enough reading chores from school, and now,
as fast-thinking information-absorbing Internet users, we don’t
have the patience to read web sites that look like they belong
in the inner depths of the New York Times.

So what can we, as internet business owners, do to grab their
attention?


--> A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words, A Diagram Is Worth How
Much?

You want your visitors to understand your message in the
clearest and quickest way possible. This is where diagrams come
into play.

A Diagram allows you to convey your main message in an
easy-to-read form. Your visitors may not have the literary
"teeth" of an academic scholar, and are often used to the
easily digestible information transfer of visuals over the
archaic text of a newspaper.

Example 1: Adtrackz.com

Here is an example of effective use of diagrams to sell a
product. One of the main messages of this sales letter is that
the software program allows you to analyze and compare the
effectiveness of all the various traffic sources to your web
site.

The following diagram helps to demonstrate the main function of
the software in a quick and direct manner:

http://adtrackz.com/diagramtrimmed.jpg

Using this new graphical version of the Adtrackz sales letter
instead of the much plainer old version, the web site has
increased sales by 43%.

Example 2: Visiongateportal.com

Vision Gate offers webmasters an easy way to create and manage
member only websites. Here is an actual diagram that I created
that instantly illustrates what visiongate can do for their
potential clients.

http://adtrackz.com/visiongate.jpg

Example 3: rss.marketingstudies.net

This Web site features an animated gif about halfway down the
page. The gif rotates 3 diagrams that explain the benefits of
RSS to web publishers. Because it is visual, and animated, it
clearly stands out and grabs your attention. One cannot help
but immediately see the value of the offer.

http://adtrackz.com/rssmarketingstudies.gif


--> 4 Easy Steps to Adding Diagrams to Your Web Site

Step 1: Concept

Ask yourself the following question: How can I
encapsulate my offer in a diagram? Is there a way to do this
with just one diagram or should I use more?

Visualize the message you are trying to impress onto the
visitor. Draw a rough sketch of the picture and label all the
elements it should have. Describe the elements and the idea of
the diagram in a "diagram blueprint".

Step 2: Design

Hire a designer on Scriptlance or Elance to create the
picture. Send the designer the diagram blueprint. Request
that the designer send you 3 different versions of the picture,
with varying style, so that you can choose the best one to fit
in your web site

Step 3: Review

View the completed diagram in the context of
the web site and ask yourself: Can I make any changes to this
diagram that will make my concept even easier to understand?

Ask friends or coworkers if they "get it" after taking one look
at the diagram on your website. The diagram should have the
same effect as a headline in that it should directly
communicate your offer and entice your visitor to want to learn
more.

Generally, the higher up the diagram is placed on your website
the better the response.

Step 4: Repeat

Finally, ask yourself the following question: Is there room
for any other diagrams on the web site that will enhance the
understanding of my content? If so, repeat steps 1 to 3.


--> A Final Note

Seeing is believing, and if the visitor to your web site can
see the value of the product you are selling before they have a
chance to react, then your chances of getting the sale are that
much higher.

Try imagining the experience from the visitor's standpoint.
Don't make many assumptions about their past knowledge and
experience. All diagrams should be very easy to understand.

Using the 4-step-guide above, you will add valuable artillery
to the power of your web site. Take advantage of the power of
diagrams, because in today's information-intensive world, it's
an effective way to get your offer noticed. 

Jonah Klimack is an experienced web marketing professional and
the author of the highly rated Adtrackz ad tracking software
and other products. You can find him at:
http://adtrackz.com/articles/