It is estimated that 85% of end-users research products online before picking up the phone to call a company. So you’re already missing out on potential business if you don’t have a website.
Your website is likely the first point of contact for your customers and prospective customers. Website visitors want to learn more about your products/services and your company. If you don’t have an optimal website design, you can easily lose thousands of dollars initially. You are likely to lose even more money in potential revenue –money that you could have been making from a well-designed website.
Improve your bottom line and avoid these common web design mistakes:
Lack of market research
Research your target market and design your website around your research. For example, an older demographic would prefer a larger font size and a younger demographic would want the website to be smartphone compatible.
Don’t try to target every kind of visitor you might end up getting to your website; you’ll end up not pleasing anyone. Create the best experience for your most frequent users.
Old content
If there is no recent content about your company or your products/services, visitors may assume you’re no longer in business.
Fresh content positively affects your search engine rankings. Start a blog and make new posts at least once a week!
Poor navigation
Website visitors need to know how to find information on your website. Divide your content into sections that are easy to identify, such as: home, about us, products, services, shop, industry news, resources, and contact us. Including a search bar to find specific content is also helpful. Make it easy for visitors to find what their looking for.
Auto-play video/audio
Including media, such as videos on your website is a great way to provide valuable information in a rich format. Don’t have your videos play automatically, let the user decide if they want to watch your videos.
Do not play music in the background automatically. The music will be a distraction from the message you’re trying to convey. Additionally, if their volumes are set on high, the music will blare and the user will likely exit the site immediately. Moreover, everyone has a different taste in music; the visitor may leave your site if they don’t like what you’re playing.
No web analytic tools
If you don’t use web analytic tools, you don’t know how visitors are using your site and you can’t track the effectiveness of your website and its content. It’s important to understand the interaction users have with your website so you can determine what’s working and what isn’t.
No clear call to action
Once users have found your website, what do you want them to do next? Do you want website visitors to buy your product/service, contact you, or subscribe to your e-newsletter? Tell website visitors why they should choose you over the competition. Your content should answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” and then the call-to-action tells them what to do next.
DIY web design
Your website is your chance at a first impression. A poorly designed website gives the perception of a poor product or service. Your website must be consistent with all of your other marketing collateral to ensure a seamless brand image. If you don’t have design experience, leave it to the experts.
Avoiding the above mistakes will greatly improve the user’s experience and keep them interacting with your website longer.
To learn about other web design mistakes you should avoid, check out this article from Forbes.com.
Source: Ilya Pozin, Forbes Contributor, Forbes.com
Inderpal Gill, Firstbase Business Services
FREE Consultation
