subject: Common Business Website Mistakes [print this page] Common Business Website Mistakes Common Business Website Mistakes
Unfocussed business goals - your web site needs defined goals. An example is: "Supporting sales activities and educating our consumers within our field. Successful results would be ten enquiries per month and 25 newsletter signups." Measure your goals regularly, such as through Google Analytics or your email marketing system.
Catering to Too Many Markets It's tempting to offer many product options and service various markets on one site. Don't. Pick one product or service offering and build a web site around that one offering. It's certain that your search engine rankings will suffer if you try to cater for several markets. It must be instantly clear to the reader who you are catering for and what's your business purpose.
Forgetting to Differentiate Putting across succinctly what you have to offer and why you are better than your competitors is crucial. Competition is high in most industries. Offline marketing and PR is going to help you be recognised and trusted.
Designing for style over substance Too much Flash, Java, and fancy design images will not add to your site's perceived value. Many graphics also make the pages slower to download (which is penalised by Google now) and harder to navigate. If you want consumers to visit, consider all the varieties of web browsers, screen sizes, and slower connections not everyone has the designer's speed.
Using a generic domain name - the more unique and memorable your domain name, the better. If you can put your main service/product type in the domain name all the better, depending on whether you are stuck with a certain business name.
Not having a domain name at all - the use of an ISP's web address or free Google website looks unprofessional. So invest the $21-40 it costs to have your own domain name. Many businesses give over their rights when they buy a domain, so always ensure you own the domain name and you are able to transfer hosting if needed. I can highly recommend cheapdomains.com.au or webcity.com.au
Not thinking like a customer - your website should anticipate objections, questions, and help them find what's on their mind. Also provide proof like testimonials, projects, and portfolio samples to further convince the prospect that you're the real deal.
Not indicating prices After the reader thinks your business has the goods, they then want to know how much it is. Prospects are looking for value, not always the cheapest price. If you have a strong offer and your prices are reasonable you will represent value to your prospects. But if you don't state your prices then the value can't be calculated. If you are a service provider, either state your rates or a close range for each service, and perhaps a typical project cost.
Poor copy and mistakes to be professional you must eradicate typos, incorrect spelling and poor grammar. Always get your website checked over by a copy editor. A copywriter will be able to help you make your web pages persuasive and interesting.
Not allowing for changes or updates - the web design foundation should allow for more content and easy changing of content. New services, additional locations, a web form, or extra information should be allowed for without the need for a major site redesign. So if this is likely, ask for a content management system. A sophisticated CMS is Joomla or Magento, and a simple CMS is WordPress.
Not considering search engines - The main way consumers will find you online is via search engines like Google and Bing. By adding keywords to the title of your web pages, using paragraph headings, writing a great description, and text linking well, you can improve your ranking in search results.
Not investing in online marketing - in most cases it pays to invest something in online marketing. Unlike traditional media, with online marketing you can choose your daily budget and the cost-per-click of your marketing campaign. With good reason, Google Adwords is the leader in pay-per-click advertising. Making Adwords effective can be tricky but can be learned, or else managed by an Adwords consultant. For around $3 to $10 per day, you can get a source of targeted leads.
Not responding quickly enough to online enquiries. Internet users are impatient and they want immediate results. Apparently 59% of Australian companies don't respond to an online lead enquiry within seven days (Nett magazine). If you take a few days to answer email enquiries there's a good chance you've already lost the sale. Check your email twice a day and once a day on weekends if possible.
Poor Legibility - your pages should be clean, simple and readable. Even if the white on black goes with your branding, the fact is, sites which are hard to read will lose visitors quickly. Only use fonts that you would usually see in a newspaper or magazine, and ensure they are at least 11 point.
Unprintable pages - if you use lots of graphics and coloured text on coloured backgrounds it may be difficult for prospective customers to print out your pages, especially any helpful articles. Black on a light colour works the best. It's easy to read both on screen and in print.
Using only stock photos while they can add impact to a web page, don't use the same stock photos or templates that everyone else does. For instance, "people around table" or "man with briefcase" or "business handshake closing a deal". If you are the face of your business, use your own image or other original shots of your logo on wall, stack of products, person having a massage, etc.
Chaotic site navigation - it should take preferably two and a maximum of three clicks for your reader to find what they are looking for. Look at your bounce rate and average time on site with your analytical tools. Are people giving up early before they find the good stuff? It could be poor menus and linking that is to blame.
Creating a professional web site does take a certain amount of skill, but it is also very important for client attraction and conversion, along with your rapid personal service.
