The Yoga rules

By Mikel A Bruce

Almost 75% of all households in the United States have internet access and it is rising at a steady rate. Until recently a Yoga business could get exposure to potential students by simply advertising in the phone book, but with the growth of the Internet, the majority of business-searches are conducted via the web. What does this mean for your Yoga business? Unquestionably, if you don't have a Web presence, you are not tapping into one of the most consistent and cost-effective source of business leads.

With a website, the first impression is critical. A visitor can come and go very quickly, especially when conducting a search and checking out several websites. To make a good first impression, keep your visitor on your website, and motivate them to contact you, follow these tips:

1. Keep the content simple: remember, in most cases a website is not designed to sell your service. It is designed to give your potential students enough information about you and your business to entice them to contact you. Too much text per page will deter them from reading it at all.

2. Simple navigation bar: make sure that your website has an easy-to-find and simple-to-use navigation or menu bar. The navigation bar is the set of links or tabs used to get from one web page to another.

3. Contact Information: include all your contact information on each page of your site and have an easy-to-find link to your contact page.

4. Pictures: include at least one picture per page with the text to enhance its visual appeal.

5. Sound: be careful not to frustrate your website visitor with sound or music. If you do use sound, keep it subtle and brief.

6. Add an easy to find link to your schedule

7. Consider offering an online scheduling feature making it easy and convenient for them to pay and sign up for classes.

8. Place a prominent link on your own page for them to sign up for your newsletter and considering offering some type of incentive for them to sign up such as a free e-book on any topic relevant to your potential students. An example might be 'Free e-book on 10 Tips to Reduce Stress in the Office using Yoga'

9. Send out a monthly e-newsletter with educational information, discounts, promotions, etc...

10. Exchange links with non-competitive businesses in order to drive more traffic to your website.

If you are looking to develop a professional web presence, WebFlexor Yoga specializes in helping Yoga Teachers and Studios succeed on the Web.

Mikel Bruce, WebFlexor Yoga Websites, 888-282-7818, http://www.websitesforyoga.com