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One of the biggest problems on websites, especially coaching websites, is a high bounce rate.

A bounce rate is the rate at which people simply "bounce" off of your website; specifically, your home page. For instance, a person might land on your home page and won't click further to any other pages.

The impact is obvious. When people bounce off of your site, they don't spend time or take any action. They don't subscribe to your email list. They don't ask for a free session. They don't buy a product. Quite simply, it's a waste of your marketing efforts.

The main cause of high bouncing is confusion. Many home pages aren't clear, aren't easy to look at or read, and don't lead visitors to other pages.

A successful home page gets visitors clicking deeper into the website. To do this, the home page needs to ground people and direct them to the next page.

Three things that get visitors engaged are:

1. Pages that download quickly. Slow-loading websites give visitors time to get distracted and/or think your website doesn't work. It must open up in a few seconds.

2. Professional-looking pages. A professional design says you're a serious coach. It says a serious effort has been made to help the client; meaning, there's probably value here. Keep your layout simple. Use easy-to-read fonts; have an easy-to-follow navigation; and use two to three colors that are attractive and appealing.

3. A home page that answers these basic questions: "What is this?", "Is this for me?", and "Why should I be here?" Your tagline, website name, home-page copy, and even the choice of words in the navigation can help answer these questions.

Now that your visitor is grounded, he's ready to continue. Your home page needs to lead the prospect to another page.

The essence of getting people to take action is to know what they want, and what you want. Then devise a next-step plan that'll help achieve both.

Let's say you want visitors to sign up for a free session. And, as you know, your visitors have challenges they want to overcome. To get them to move towards this action, you'll want to lead them onto a page that shows that you understand their situation; that you know where they want to go; that you have a method to do this; and that you've helped others like them.

Another example is to invite people to sign up for your email list and grow a relationship, providing helpful information over time.

Whatever the action you want visitors to take, be sure to make that button or link stand out.

The bottom line: confusion and lack of clarity cause visitors to hit the road before exploring your services. Make sure you ground visitors and lead them into your website to build a relationship that ultimately leads them to hiring you as their coach.

Kenn Schroder, helps you build a magnetic coaching web site to attract clients. Web site design, search engine optimization (SEO), FREE report and FREE newsletter to help you build a practice-growing coaching web site. http://www.CoachingSitesThatWork.com

Microsoft is revamping its certification tracks, and will eventually retire the familiar MCSE certificatons. The new certification setup is much like Cisco's, where there are specialist certifications to go along with the more general CCNA, then mid-level certifications such as the CCNP, and then a more-advanced practical exam modeled somewhat after the coveted CCIE certification.

Microsoft's new specialist exams are the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams. As of March 2006, there were five separate MCTS Tracks. Three of them deal with .NET Framework 2.0; these are the Web Application, Windows Applications, and Distributed Applications certifications. Each of these separate certifications requires the candidate to pass two exams. There is also a one-exam SQL Server 2005 certification, as well as a BizTalk Server 2006 single-exam certification.

The initial question is "Why is Microsoft doing this?" According to their website, MS feels that IT hiring managers today have a tough time deciding which computer certifications best identify job candidates who best meet their needs. I know it's easy to take verbal shots at Microsoft (it'll be an Olympic sport one day), but this new series of certs does have appeal for hiring managers, which can only help qualified candidates. Instead of the more-general MCSE, which does still suffer from the overcertification of NT 4.0 MCSEs back in the day, these more-specific certifications will make it easier for the job candidate to prove that they can do the job - and easier for the hiring manager to make an informed decision.

Microsoft hasn't announced the track that will eventually replace the MCSE, but this track will be revealed with the next client-server Windows release. It's up to you to stay informed of these changes, so I recommend you visit Microsoft's certification website often. "I didn't know" isn't much help once a certification expires!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over 100 free certification exam tutorials, including Cisco CCNA certification test prep articles. His exclusive Cisco CCNA study guide and Cisco CCNA training is also available!

Visit his blog and sign up for Cisco Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions! A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available, and you can attend an in-person or online CCNA boot camp with The Bryant Advantage!