What They See Is What They Want (And Most Likely What They'll GET!)

What makes people desire something, or someone? What is it
that makes some things more attractive to them than others?

Psychologists recently sought answers to these questions by
assembling a number of equally attractive women volunteers,
then assigning them to take classes with groups of college
men for an entire semester.

Some of the women attended 5 classes each week with the men,
while the others attended only 3 or 1.

When the semester was over and the men were asked to rate
their women classmates in terms of attractiveness, the
results were revealing: It consistently showed that the
more classes they shared with each woman, the more
attractive (and desirable) they perceived that woman to be.

So as far as human nature is concerned, it appears that
Hannibal Lecter's observation in "Silence of the Lambs" is
true: We desire what we see most often -- even to the
point of coveting it.

And what does this insight have to do with the way you run
your business / market your products on the web?

A LOT.

Familiarity Breeds Desire
-------------------------

The more frequently your potential clients NOTICE your
products, the more DESIRABLE they'll perceive your products
to be -- and the more chances you'll have of developing
business relationships with them.

But becoming visible & desirable doesn't have to spell
"unaffordable" to small business owners. Because chances
are, you already know a number of low-cost ways to be SEEN
by target surfers on the web. The only question now is, do
they really NOTICE you when they do?

Here are 5 ways to make sure you (and your website, and
your products) appear VISUALLY OUTSTANDING in the first
place, and mute the hundreds of other stimuli surfers
usually get on the net.

1. CAPTURE WITH COLOR
---------------------
It's true that different colors can evoke different
emotions, and greatly influence how long someone will stay
on a website or look at an ad. So besides choosing
background & graphic colors for readability, choose them
also for the emotions they'll evoke.

Here are some of the most common colors & their general
effects, divided into 2 types:

HOT COLORS
Hot colors are bright, and not very good for long-term eye
exposure. They're best used for graphics & important text
-- anything that you want to really draw attention to.

* RED - energizes, gives a sense of heat, excites
* ORANGE - stimulates any existing emotion a surfer
already has
* YELLOW - illuminates, provokes thinking

COOL COLORS
Cool colors are easy on the eyes and produce a calming
effect. This makes it safe for them to be used extensively
in graphics, text, and even in backgrounds.

* GREEN - creates feelings of stability, quiet, and
peace of mind
* WHITE - symbolizes purity, promotes restfulness
* BLUE - inspires harmony, creates a cool feeling

Carefully choose which colors you'll use, and you'll somehow
dictate the emotions people will have about your product /
site.

2. NAVIGATE WITH NATURAL MAPS
-----------------------------
One reason why the Windows operating system became popular
was that it used icons of common objects to help users
remember what each program was meant to do -- a garbage bin
for deleted items, a folder for important files, a printer
for printing output.

For many people, these "natural maps" made it easier for
them to use and understand computers -- paving the way for
the highly computerized society we live in now.

Take a look at your website, your navigation bars, or even
your downloadable products. How else can you improve them
with easy-to-use "natural maps," and make them more visually
attractive to your clients?

3. LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE
----------------------------
In creating visual impact, you have to decide on two things:

- What do you want the viewer to focus on?
- And what elements should be removed so nothing
distracts from the point of focus?

Although it might seem cost-efficient to give the viewer as
many attention-getting graphics & text as possible, it
actually defeats the purpose of sending him one clear
message he'll act on.

So first decide on the message, make it memorable, then put
it under a spotlight.

And if you feel you have something else to say, just save it
for the next page, where you can showcase it under a
spotlight of its own.

4. COMMAND ATTENTION
--------------------
Have you ever wondered what usually captures most people's
attention?

It's OTHER PEOPLE -- which is why photographs of people
doing different things have remained a staple among print
& virtual ads.

Use this to your advantage by adding people pictures to
your site & your products; load them with the proper
emotion, and your buyers will get emotional about you
(and your company) as well.

5. BE CONSISTENT
----------------
A woman who always dresses in sexy but subtle clothes
consistently gives the impression that she's hard-to-get
but worth it. On the other hand, a woman who keeps wearing
loud skin tight outfits gives the impression that she's
easy.

In the same way, it isn't enough for you (and your site,
and your products) to be frequently noticed by potential
clients in the most strategic places on the web.

Equally important is the impression clients will ultimately
have about you -- and whether or not it's the same
impression you really want to make.

So before going high-profile, determine which profile you
really want your clients to SEE.

Because marketing & purchasing -- like all other aspects of
the human condition -- is all about emotion, and appeal,
and desirability.

And how attractive you can make yourself out to be.