Websites are a must-have in today’s world. It seems like everyone’s got one, but why are some more successful than others? To answer that question, we’re going to look at 7 of the most common website mistakes that are hurting your business.
#1 Make sure your website has a clear purpose
This is the first thing we ask everyone coming to us for website design. What action do you want visitors to take? Call your business? Fill out a form? Purchase a product? Sign up for a newsletter?
A strong call to action must be present for your website to be successful. When visitors come to your site, it’s important to guide them. Tell them exactly what they need to do.
#2 Introduce your company in 280 characters or less
Who are you? What do you do? Your introduction should be simple and to the point. Thanks to social media, we are conditioned to absorb short bursts of information quickly and then move on.
Use plain, conversational language. If you’ve ever told someone what your company does, then had to explain the explanation you just gave them, you should rethink your verbiage.
#3 Don’t talk about yourself
When visitors come to your site, it’s because they have a problem that needs a solution. Whether they’re looking for a better deal, answers to a question, or need a particular service, the only thing your visitors care about is: “Can you help me?”
Initially, people don’t care how long you’ve been in business, who your CEO is, or how many awards you’ve won. All they need to know is that you can solve their problem.
#4 Keep your home page light and informative
Your homepage is a gateway to the rest of your site. An appetizer if you will. Just enough curb the appetite, but not so much that it feels stuffed and bloated.
If your visitors arrive at your site and see paragraphs and paragraphs of copy, they’ll likely bounce. Once again, we can thank social media for this attitude of wanting the most information packed into the fewest characters possible.
#5 Optimize your images, ALL of them
Every website we encounter has images that need to be compressed. A few kilobytes here and there adds up in a big way. Google announced that page speed will now be a factor in mobile search ranking. This means that every byte counts. Compress those images and make sure users can find information quickly.
#6 Keep that blog fresh
Your website’s blog is one of the most important aspects of its success. It allows you to personalize your site, answer questions about your industry, and deliver fresh content.
Your blog should have scheduled updates and contain well-written content that is relevant and useful to your readers. Keeping your blog maintained on a regular basis shows visitors that your company is alive and kicking!
#7 Don’t forget about your site’s internal pages
While it’s important to have a beautiful home page, first time visitors may not even see it. Internal pages need to be rich with relevant content and images, especially since these pages can heavily affect search ranking.
If the information on these pages isn’t useful or relevant, they’re basically dead weight. Make your internal pages work for you by including relevant information about your company’s products or services.