What are you most grateful for? Take a few minutes to create an alphabetical Gratitude Journal.  Here are just a few gems of gratitude that I jotted down.

Appreciation of art and artists.

Birds. I love to watch birds, especially finches. They are so bright and colorful.

Convertible Just getting in the car and putting the top down makes me smile.

Dogs. I love dogs. They love you unconditionally and are always happy to see you.

Enlightened. A wonderful way to be in the world – I am enlightened every day.

Flowers – Wild flowers in the mountains are spectacular! Fresh flowers in the home are so beautiful.

Grandma and Grandpa. Loved them so much and grateful for everything they taught me.

Home – It’s like a big hug, warm and welcoming.

Intuition – Listening to the inner voice.

Jenny – My fabulous friend and massage therapist. Aaaaah!

Knowledge – It’s good to know what I know and I’m always learning!

Larry – my handsome husband and best friend.

Motorcycle riding. Hoppin’ on the Harley and hittin’ the road clears my mind.

Nieces and nephews – all sixteen of them!

Office – Enjoy a beautiful home office with mountain views.

Positive attitude. If I were to pick just ONE attribute I am most grateful for – this would be it!

Quiet time – to just be – meditation and reflection.

Rocky Mountain National Park – especially when the elk are bugling in the fall.

Seasons – the changes in weather, clothing and seasonal foods.

Talent. Appreciating the talents of others and recognizing my own.

Unconditional love.

Visionary. Ability to see the big picture and not sweat the small stuff.

Websites. What a wealth of information can be found online.

Xanadu – heaven on earth.

Yesterday. Learn and move on.

Zen – meditation, beauty and simplicity.

Gratitude is the best attitude.  ~Author Unknown

Do you know how powerful the colors are on a website? Colors make a first impression and also evoke emotions. Sometimes a simple change of colors on a website can create a whole new look and feel while keeping the same basic design.

It’s a good idea to have the colors of your logo be represented on the website. This creates a branding image in the mind of your customers. Whenever we see yellow & red & the golden arches we know what famous fast food chain that represents.

As with everything, there are positives and negatives to each color. Knowing your target audience will determine which colors you’ll choose to convey. When you’re appealing to a global audience, knowing the color meanings of different cultures will be beneficial. See a Cultural Color Chart.

Cash Colors – This 30-page ebook shows how to use color to create web pages that sell. For every color the author lists the feelings the visitor will experience. He also mentions industries that benefit by using certain colors and color combinations.

Meaning of colors according to the Small Business Association:

White – pure, clean, youthful, coolness, cleanliness, safety.

Black – power, elegant, secretive, classical, serious, stability.

Red – passion, excitement, danger, strength, bravery, energy.

Orange – vibrant, warm, healthy, exciting, fun.

Yellow – happiness, excitement, cheerful, alert, warm.

Green – natural, health, plentiful, wealth, freshness.

Purple – royalty, wise, celebration, romance, femininity.

Blue - intelligence, peaceful, trustworthy, authority, security.

A few websites to help you choose colors:

Degraeve Color Palette

Colour Lovers

Visibone Color Chart

I’ve seen speakers wear the colors of their logos and websites to leave a lasting impression on their audience. Are the colors on your website appealing to your target audience? Leave a comment and share some sites that have a good use of colors.

How do you like to communicate with potential clients who visit your website?

If you prefer email, here are a few tips:

• Include your email address more than once on your Home Page and several times throughout your site.
• Consider having your email address in a larger font to make it stand out.
• Ask your web person to use an anti-harvesting script on the email address so you won’t get spammed.
• Forget the cute graphic envelopes or postal boxes that say, “Email me”. When the page is printed, the recipient won’t know what your email address is.
• Check your inbox several times a day and respond promptly to all inquiries. If a potential client sends you an email they will expect an immediate response – no later than 24 hours. The quicker you respond, the more likely you are to get the sale.

If you prefer to communicate with potential clients via phone consider these suggestions:

• Place your phone number in the upper right corner of your site in a large san serif font that is easy to read. Include the words: Call me today at 000-000-0000. Place your phone number in the Blue Browser Title Bar. When the search engine robots visit your site – your phone number will be included in the verbiage printed for that search engine’s listing of your site.
• Do you have a professional voice messaging system that you change and check regularly? Try calling yourself today and see what type of impression your message leaves. When recording a new voice message – SMILE – this simple act of smiling while speaking will actually come across in your voice.
• Return all phone calls within 24 hours. All kinds of negative assumptions are made about a business or person that does not return calls. Years ago I received a voice message from someone wanting me to volunteer my time for a political campaign. Since I do return all phone calls, I called this woman back. After politely explaining that I would not be able to volunteer my time because of my business obligations – she casually mentioned that her mother was a pattern drafter. WOW! I knew someone who was looking to hire a person with those skills. A connection was made all because of me returning a phone call. What amazing thing will happen to you today when you return phone calls?
• Speaking of phone numbers, try typing yours into the Google search bar. If you’ve had the same phone number (landline) awhile, your name and address will come up.

Include both your email and phone on your Contact page. Keep your business and website positive, prosperous and professional by returning all calls and responding to all email inquiries. Word will spread quickly that you are courteous, responsive and professional. Those are very good qualities for any business or website to have.

Prequalify clients with your FAQ's

A great way to pre-qualify potential clients that visit your website is to add a FAQ or Do’s/Don’ts page. This will help fine-tune the types of clients who will contact you for your products or services. To develop your own FAQ page, think of the top questions your ideal clients ask you. Browse your emails for the most commonly asked questions and your responses. When people are shopping for a product either on or offline, the FAQ can help close the deal.

Here is a short example:

Just like each client is unique – every web company has unique offerings. Here’s what we do and don’t do:

We Do:

• Create customized web designs.
• Work virtually with companies outside of Colorado.
• Respond to every phone call and email within 24 hours.

Think about what makes you stand out from your competition. Put the top 3 on your website, you might also include one of these benefits at the end of your voice message.

We Don’t:

• Create cookie-cutter web designs.
• Work nights or weekends.
• Niche our services to a specific industry.

This works because people who are looking for template sites instead of custom will go elsewhere.  For those seeking a 24/7 company they will realize this company is not for them. If they are seeking a company that works only with a specific industry then they’ll surf on.

Our Ideal Clients:

• Value an on-going relationship with a professional web company.
• Want to attract their ideal clients and know their target audience.
• Have fun with positive attitudes!

Equally important is clearly identifying who your ideal clients really are and putting this on your website.  It’s pretty amazing what happens when you actually put this in writing and believe your ideal clients will find you. It really works!

Here is an example of an Architect who clearly defines his design counseling services to prequalify potential clients. htp://www.wingesaia.com/counseling.html

Have some fun with this and I’d love to see the page on your site where you prequalify your best clients. Click below to post a comment.