Whatever you’ve got to sell or offer the world, you’d like your customers to feel welcomed to your site, happy to look around, and sufficiently interested to pick up the phone to call you, or to magically click on the “Buy now!” button, right?

Did you know that the principles of feng shui, which increase the positive energy in our life, can be used to make the intentions, above, a more real- life scenario than one that exists only in a perfect world? Follow the few simple steps below and you will be treating your customers to a more enjoyable browsing experience- and feng shui’ing your way to increased business profits.

Step One: Use good design sense.

Feng Shui isn’t all about adding fancy bells and whistles to bring in something different. The underlying principles are that of good design and clean space. Applying these principles to your site means a homepage that communicates the vital message of your business, including pictures, but isn’t cluttered up with information haphazardly placed which, according to feng shui, scares off abundance chi. Having too many colours, too many choices and an unclear layout will result in your visitors just cruising straight past in fear of not being able to find exactly what they’re looking for on your site.

Hint: keep the background colour of your website neutral. The colour white is the “energy reflecting” colour, and allows your visitors to feel they can move freely around your site without the pressure to buy- encouraging them to stay longer. If you offer services which help people feel better, such as therapy, a light background colour like cream or peach is beneficial. These shades represent the element earth, and speak of the stability of your brand whilst elevating feelings of trust in your visitor.

Step Two: Set the tone.

It’s said that words alone are only 20% of communication: we derive 80% of communication’s meaning from body language, and the tone of voice that’s used. On the web, it’s no different. The 20% is the word content, or what your website says. The 80% is the way your website looks and the tone that comes across.

So how do we set a good feng shui “tone”- one that encourages the visitors we want to linger longer and purchase, or book? No doubt it has to be positive. A positive-tone website has many Yang qualities- it’s light, it’s bright, and it’s upbeat. Even if you’re selling funerals, your website should lean towards the Yang- focusing on the positives, by featuring pictures that show off the enjoyable aspects of your business for your customer. Numbers, or points should outline product benefits, as the human brain loves sequence, and readers enjoy positive energy from going through a few numbered items.

For financial success, the positive tone has to especially surround your experience, the service you offer, and any promises you make regarding your business. Make sure this text is easily found on your main pages, larger or in a brighter colour than the rest of the text, and reads as if you’re proud and confident in what you offer. This confident energy is infectious, and fills your reader with the same feeling, encouraging them to buy or book.

We’ve all had a web experience where someone’s YELLING at us; ie. The text is all in capitals. Even headings in capitals create negative energy- draw attention by putting your headings in bold or a special colour instead, to encourage interest. And remember to consider your font carefully. Serif, (the curly, old-fashioned and sometimes more difficult to read) fonts like Times New Roman, Georgia, Bodoni and Book, are a great feng shui choice if your product or service is artistic, personal or female-oriented. These fonts represent Yin energy. Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Trebuchet and Helvetica set a more Yang tone, and convey male energy, which is excellent if your product or sevice can benefit from an authoritative, official, informative and instructive “tone of voice”.

Step 3: Harness the Power of Place

In the two steps above you will have created a clean, positive space on the web which speaks clearly and confidently about what you offer. You’ll be attracting the right type of visitor and building rapport with them as they enjoy browsing your uncluttered, friendly site. Now it’s time to harness the power of your positive site to attract more visitors, encourage more spending per visit, more bookings for you and more recognition for what you offer…

Feng shui steps to take in your home:

1. Make sure your computer is plugged into a socket on the wall in a good direction for you. We all have 4 positive, and 4 negative directions in Feng Shui, based on our date of birth. Discover yours by googling “Kua numbers” or visit http://www.fengshuiwishmaps.co.uk/kuanumbers.htm.

2. Clear out clutter in the North West, or furthest left hand corner of your home when standing at the front door looking in. This direction relates to communication, helpful friends, and technology, so making sure this spot in your home is an enjoyable place to be is essential to welcome beneficial energy to these areas of your life.

Feng Shui steps to take on your website:

1. Place your “call to action”- such as your telephone number, or buy now button, in the bottom right hand corner of each page. It’s wonderful if it flashes or moves, as this activates the element water, or flow, and in this area of the page stimulates Wealth and Prosperity Chi.

2. A great colour scheme in keeping with the 5 elements of feng shui is this: Paler or more subdued colours belong at the top of the page, and more active, bright colours belong at the bottom. By following this simple formula you’ll be ensuring longevity for your business, welcoming career opportunities, boosting your “fame”, and good reputation, and creating the chi that encourages others to recommend your site.

May feng shui and your own efforts lead to the internet success of your dreams!

Written by Samantha Honey of www.fengshuibythesea.com