When I was preparing to speak to clients, the first thing I usually do is head to their website and have a look close to it. Every small business has minimal resources, but on today’s internet, you need to be careful how much an individual skimp on your website. It might be better not to get a website than to have one that will convey the message you are sloppy and might be bankrupt soon. Your site doesn’t have to get overly fancy, but it has to avoid some all too frequent pitfalls.
It’s not uncommon for those to tell me that the website has been built by a good friend, a relative, or a volunteer and this has been done over oftentimes. Usually, these are well that means people who have some experience with coding and decide in order to create a website “to guide out”. Well, not so rapidly, there is a lot more to developing a website than just throwing up a couple of screens.
Through my knowledge of working with businesses on regional online marketing, I want to share a few of the most common website stumbling blocks you must avoid. Your website designer might not like me, yet avoid this pitfall because of your contract:
The site looks negative or doesn’t work right as a result of browser incompatibility: First and foremost, the web page has to work and it has to be effective in multiple browsers. Do not let someone build you a site and then not test it in every common browser.
At a minimum you need to make sure they test together with Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft company Internet Explorer (notorious for not functioning, so make sure they check at least with IE discharge 7, 8, and 9), and Mozilla Firefox browsers. There are numerous others, but at least ensure these are tested. There is a controversy that always brews over help support of IE 6. Decades a very good browser and so the majority of us are dropping support of the USB ports.
The content is not marketing and small business focused: The problem with friends and family on the subject of building websites is that they don’t have a strong business and advertising and marketing background, so they don’t know the best way to write the text of your web page or even what’s important. It to be compelling. It needs to help call people to action. It is well written with all the syntax, punctuation, and spelling suitable. Sounds obvious, doesn’t the item?
Well, don’t take for granted that your fresh out of school engineer will understand marketing or possess the level of attention to depth that you need. They may, but maybe not. Make sure that your most important steps are clear to your website visitor instructions do you want them to call, go to your physical location, or perhaps download information? Make sure the decision to action jumps out there at you right when you glance at the site. Also, the site really should have on-page SEO, so verify if you are getting that.
The property page is so crowded together with information, the reader leaves: Maybe you have been to a website in which the internet site is SO busy, you have no idea how to start so you leave? I have and also I’m sure you have too. Ensure the home landing page puts your easiest foot forward. You don’t have to stuff everything on that website, that is why you have many pages. And make sure the websites are laid out well.
My partner and I honestly chuckle sometimes as I look at a site’s configuration. I often find the strangest things, like the directions into the store or location disguised. under a product and expert services tab. It may have made good sense to someone, but look at how people will use the positioning and create the layout that feels self-explanatory. Ask others to get feedback on the layout likewise – could they locate what they were looking for?
Links to be able to dead social networking pages: Most likely hip, so you need your website to have links to all the particular social networking sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, Tweets, and more, more, more, proper? Wrong! You only want backlinks to social networking sites on your site if you have a proper, business-targeted social network page. For example, in case you have a link to Facebook all the things your family and friends post all kinds of private stuff there – is the fact really where you want your customers to visit?
Now if you have a business Facebook page that you keep up at least 1-3 times a week and keep track of daily, then great, go ahead and use that site. Exact same goes for all other websites. Parenthetically you have a link to LinkedIn or even Twitter, but you aren’t energetic there. You might have a nice, thoroughly clean, business-focused profile, however, you never check for comments. Now let’s say that Twitter is actually how one of your very hot prospects communicates, and Twitter posts to you, but you don’t respond. They may think that you are disregarding them and go somewhere else. Not good, so if you aren’t energetic, don’t put up a link.
Outer links don’t work or maybe they open causing the end user to leave your website: Be sure all internal and outer links work and request which external links on your website open in new visitor windows so the user will not leave your site. External backlinks to relevant information are important, but you no longer want the customer to too early leave your site.
If you have outer links, they need to be looked at before the site is presented and then again in the future to make sure these people still work.
Finally, We promised 5+. Keep your copyright laws up to date or leave them away. Ever go to a business website and see something like 2008-2009 XYZ All Rights Reserved? Enables you to wonder if they are still running a business, doesn’t it? Simple point – keep your copyright updated.
People will claim they are able to build you a cheap website fast, but remember there are three things involved and you ARE NOT ABLE TO have all three: quality, pace, and low cost. More than 20 years of experience in R&D, product management, and promotion has shown me time and again: that you can find it cheap and rapid, but it won’t be high quality; you can find high quality and fast, but it really won’t be low cost; or you can understand its high quality and low cost, but it really won’t be fast. That just about holds true for most things in every area of your life.
So, talk to your web designer, obtain a contract, and avoid the issues. Your online presence is important, therefore make sure it represents your company well. For more business website ideas and local online marketing suggestions see some of my other blog posts.
Read also: The Main Advantages Of Webinars For Learning How To Produce Websites