Here is my list of 10 website problems and how to fix them.
- No website. Surprisingly, nearly 50% of small businesses still don’t have a website. In today’s fast paced digital world, most businesses need a website to be competitive and to be taken seriously in the marketplace. This is your chance to tell the story of your business in an engaging and visual way. Quit Monkeying Around! Join the Zoo.™ Enough said, go get started.
- Hard to find contact info. This is critical. You want to make it easy for your prospective clients to find you and interact with you. And don’t use forms that require people to fill them out just to contact you. Give them your email, phone, or preferred contact.
- Hard to navigate. Again, you want to make your website very easy to use. You want a nice flow to the various pages and content on your site. Give people a good overview of what your business is about and have simple, easy to follow links between various content.
- Poor design. Your website might be too plain, too cluttered, or just plain too much. Web designers may want to create a gorgeous, high graphic, and high sizzle type site, but the truth is this approach can be as bad as a design that is too basic or cluttered. Good design conveys your message in an visually stimulating and easy to understand way, using enough design elements to capture attention and encourage action.
- No call to action. You want to encourage visitors to your site to take some kind of action. Sign up for your newsletter. “Like” you on Facebook. Join your fan club. Leave comments. You get the idea. Ideally, you will collect an email to start building a list to communicate with prospective clients.
- Slow to load website. This can really turn off a first time visitor to your site. Everyone is busy these days and we want things quick. While in life, I recommend slowing down, in web design, I recommend speeding up! Make sure you aren’t trying to put too much on your landing page.
- Not connected to social media. Really? Your site needs to be connected to social media. Social media is becoming the preferred way of communicating for many people, not to mention being a key part in Search Engine Ranking. If you want to attract and communicate with new customers, you need to outreach on at least some social media channels. Choosing the appropriate channel for you and your target audience is key. Different channels work better for different content, products, services, and personalities. This is where a social media specialist can help. Yes, we offer social media services tailored to your needs.
- Not optimized for SEO. This is a complicated topic that takes time and effort to do right. You can have the best website in the world, but if it’s not optimized for search, it can be hard for people to find you. Here is a link to some basic SEO tips. A good web designer will use SEO techniques in your web design.
- No examples of your work. This is your chance to show off your product and services. Make it visual. People love pictures and videos. Visual images are the perfect way to capture our attention and inspire us to action. Use top quality images that convey your product, service or story.
- Death of a salesman. Did I get your attention? Your website can act like a salesperson for you and your business, 24 hours everyday with no coffee breaks! Story is one of the best ways to capture attention and engage your audience. Here are some tips from Social Media Today on how TED uses story.
Hopefully you found at least one idea to help improve your website. If so, please consider implementing it today or as soon as you can get help. Your dreams often start with a single step.
What is your biggest website problem? Let us know. We can help.