Now that you have everything else in order and ready to start a new business, you still need online presence to succeed in the market world of today. There is no better way to do this than through an effective website. Most business owners suffer the same predicament of having a great looking website that does not deliver. The problems behind this underperformance are all too common and they are in form of mistakes that can be avoided during the early stages of web design. Below is a brief explanation of the common mistakes that lead to an underperforming website.
1. Making Your Website A Secondary Concern
It is important to take care of your physical business and mange all the operations especially now that it is new. However, you also need to prioritize the website activities to ensure that your online presence is not compromised. People who own small businesses tend to neglect their website with reasons that website are not useful. In this technologic age, consumers will search for businesses a few yards away using the internet and it is only important that you are available when they come looking. Take care of your site because it is the representation of your physical business in the online community.
2. Using Counterproductive Settings And Technology
This is one of the mistakes that take many forms. Simple things such as disabling a ‘back’ button can contribute to the loss of traffic since most people will consider it annoying. You might be able to keep the user on the site, but it will be a once affair since they will not be coming back. Instead of investing in setting and technology that will annoy the user, concentrate on the usability factor and you will be amazed just how much your traffic will increase.
3. Not Utilizing A Search Feature
The search feature might be a small thing in your website but it can contribute a great deal to the usability of the site. Most people do not have the time to browse through the entire site looking for what they are interested in. Instead they will move on to other sites to find the info. When designing your site, include the search function to cut short the time spent on searching for relevant pages and you can be sure that your audience will show their appreciation by coming back with friends.
4. Not Defining your Business Well
Can you imagine visiting a shop that is beautifully constructed with an amazing interior but you cannot tell whether it is a grocery store, a hardware, a dentistry office, or a coffee shop. Well that is the feeling everyone gets when they visit your website and have to struggle to find out what you are all about. To be on the safe side, you should try as much as you can during the design stage to create a website that can stand alone and speak loads about your business without using thousands of words. Use short sentences on the home page and make them straight to the point.
6. Using Poor Or Unattractive Deigns
Your website is like the front of your physical shop. As you spend money and time to decorate it to attract more customers, you should also invest in a good attractive web design. An unattractive design is detrimental to your business because it will reflect poor quality and no one wants to be associated with bad quality. Make sure your design is attractive to the target consumers such that they will want to browse through it and come back. Do this while keeping in mind that simplicity is better than the fancy complex features.
