As a business owner, you have 2 options when building a web site.  Are you looking for a “Pretty Picture” website, or a “Selling Machine”? The first option is a visually attractive site that provides information to the end-user. This type of website often includes lots of flash animations, a contemporary layout, and  offers an aesthetically pleasing vibe.

The second option is the “Selling Machine” website. Think of a highly-motivated, Type-A, overachieving salesperson on a screen. He works for you 24/7, no lunch breaks or vacations.

A “Selling Machine” is what you need if you’re serious about making money online. Generating sales is the driving force behind a “Selling Machine”. The important thing to remember about a “Selling Machine” website is great results DO NOT come by accident. A “Selling Machine” web site uses specific techniques to convert visitors into buyers. Building a reliable and effective income-producing website requires your designer to have real-world experience in creating money-generating machines online.

There are a few key points you want to cover when interviewing a web designer to build your “Selling Machine”:

1. Effective Copywriting
Simply put, will the language on the site make you want to buy? Is the writing engaging, and do you feel motivated to take action NOW?  The persuasiveness of the language on the site will be a primary factor in how much money your site makes.

Let’s say you have a website selling stethoscopes, and you get 3000 visitors a day.  You make $19 dollars per stethoscope. If your copywriting has a 2% conversion rate, (converting 2% of visitors buyers), then you make $1140 per day (2% of 3000 is 60, 60 multiplied by $19 = $1140).

Now let’s imagine you increase your copywriting conversion rate to 3%. Now, you are making $1710 per day, simply by increasing your conversion  rate by 1% (3% of 3000 is 90, multiplied by $19 = $1710). With a 1% increase in your conversion rate, you get a 50% increase in profit!  Persuasive copywriting is crucial to your success. Find out if your web designer has professional in-house copywriters, or if they contract professionals who can get the job done. All words are NOT created equal.

2. Lead Capture Systems
Each visitor to your website is a valuable lead.  If you’re not capturing visitor contact information and marketing to them, you’re leaving money on the table. Most purchases online are not made on the first visit to a website - so you need to capture contact information and keep them coming back. Newsletters, auto-responders, contests, and free reports are all great ways to capture leads. Ask your web designer how they will capture leads and market to them effectively.

3. Portfolio of Successful Sites
Finally, ask your designer for examples of successful business sites they’ve created.  Get details on advertising budgets, sales volume, and marketing strategies. The biggest factor that will affect your online sales is your web designer’s experience in creating effective “Selling Machines”..