6 Mistakes you want to avoid on your website
Is your website not bringing in the business you thought it would?
In an ideal scenario your website is your best salesperson, working to bring in business 24/7. It can feel extremely frustrating when you are not seeing the conversions you were hoping for from your website and you don’t know why.
You are not alone in your frustration, I’ve been there and unfortunately many other business owners are in the same position as you.
We are led to believe that having a business website in order to have an online presence is enough. Because of this many business owners DIY their website or use generic templates to get something up quick and easy. The goal, check that must-do off what seems like the never ending to-do list. Unfortunately that doesn’t usually bring the outcomes they are looking for because web design best practices and website strategy wasn’t used while building and designing the website.
This is completely understandable. Unless you’ve done or are providing web design as a service, why would you know about these concepts and who has the time to learn all about website design dos and don’ts when you have a business to run.
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The good news is I use these strategies and concepts every day with all my clients to make sure that their website brings in business on a regular basis for them. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t.
Below you are going to find 6 things to avoid doing or having on your website. If your website is not bringing in the business you were hoping for this is a great starting point in identifying the cause.
Unclear messaging
This is the number one mistake people make on their website. You only have a few seconds to tell a new visitor what you do and how you can help them. Make it short and to the point, and make sure it’s above the fold! You don’t want to get cute or clever here, your visitor should not have to use much brain power to figure out what you offer and if you can help them with their problem. If they do, you’ve lost them. Make sure you can answer the following questions for the visitor above the fold - What you offer/ problem you solve and who you do this for.
No clear call to action
This is the 2nd biggest mistake people make on their website. They don’t tell the visitor what they have to do to get what you are offering them. Don't let your website visitor have to ask or wonder what to do next. Guide them to the next step in your customer journey using strong and appropriate calls to action each step of the way. You should have a main goal for your website and your call to action should drive all visitors to that goal in one way or another. For example if your website goal is to increase your email list, your call to action needs to drive people to sign up for your email list. Subscribe Here, Sign Up Here. BONUS TIP - if increasing your email list is your goal check out this blog post about the most effective way to grow your email list.
Too many options to pick from
On the opposite side of the spectrum is giving your visitor way to many options of what to do next. Too many options of where to go and what to look at on your website will cause confusion and distraction. Less is more here, you want to guide them to your website goal. You should aim for no more than 4-5 items in your main navigation. You can use the footer for all other links that don’t directly drive visitors to your main goal.
Too much Copy/Text
You could probably talk about your product or service forever but unfortunately no one has the time or patience to read every word on every page. Keep your copy short, sweet and to the point. Remove the fluff and industry jargon. Your content should be at 8th grade reading level, you are the expert on the topic not your visitor. The key is to make your content simple to understand and scannable using font size, color and placement. Draw attention to and highlight the most important parts of what you have to say. This highlighted text should be able to stand on its own so that if they read nothing else they still have enough to make a solid decision.
Bad Typography (FOnt)
Picking the wrong font(s) can make or break your message. A lot goes into picking the right font but to keep things simple consider these two things -
1. You want a font that makes sense for your business industry. For example you don’t want a whimsical bubbly kind font if you offer accounting for tech services, a visitor would be distracted with such fonts and there would be a clear disconnect. This type of disconnect can impact your credibility with the visitor and cause them to exit before fully understanding what you have to offer.
2. You want to pick a font that makes your message easy to read on your website. Some font types are easier to read on a screen than others, stick to fonts like Times New Roman, Verdana, or Arial to be safe. And make sure that your lowest font size is at least 16px.
Low Quality Images
As we've all heard, pictures speak a thousand words. Good quality images will increase engagement and keep visitors on your website longer. Now I get it not everyone can afford a professional photo shoot and that’s ok. Most businesses can get away with a good headshot for themselves and other staff members, if you're including that. You don’t need a professional photo shoot for images for the rest of the website. Websites such as iStockPhoto.com and Shutterstock.com provide more cost effective alternatives. And if you want to go further there are websites such as Unsplash.com and Pexels.com that provide you with free image options. Please check terms and conditions on these websites for appropriate use of their images.
So how does your website stack up against this list?
Remember, these mistakes are common and the good news is, completely fixable.
I provided some tips and tricks on how to fix them above. If you find that you don’t have the time to make these updates yourself or you feel like these are bigger than what you want/or can handle on your own don’t hesitate to reach out to me for support.
If you're not making any of these mistakes on your website, that is awesome! Your next step in identifying why your website is underperforming is diving into your traffic levels and sources. Be on the lookout for a future blog post on that topic.
Every business owner should have a website that brings in business for them. If yours isn’t doing this for you don’t ignore it and leave money on the table. Let me help you with your website so you can focus on running and growing your business.
Would love to hear from you. Which of these mistakes did you find on your website? How are you planning to tackle them?