"As a small business, your website is the most crucial element of your marketing and branding efforts. One flaw may turn away a valuable potential customer.", according to Ilya Pozin, CEO of Open Me and columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn.
He also states that "a poorly designed website could cost you thousands of dollars upfront, but even more concerning is the loss of potential revenue you may experience from its poor design and function."
Is your business making any of these mistakes when it comes to your website?
1. You’ve overlooked your target audience or you are targeting everyone.
Pozin recommends "If you’re looking to reach women in the 21 to 30 age range, consider youthful color schemes and imagery, and cater to mobile website compatibility. As for an older target market, focus on larger font sizes and simplifying the user experience to help with faster navigation. Many Web design questions are more easily answered through target audience research."
2. You’ve gone overboard with the design
Don't confuse interactive and non-static with having a flashy design. We agree with Pozin when he says that a flashy design isn’t an effective marketing strategy for your website. "Over-designing your website -- and ending up with a busy-looking product -- will ensure your potential customers spend very little time on it." This is why at arangostudio, we recommend clean design and navigation that allows the customer to quickly gather information with a minimal effort.
3. You’re missing a clear call to action
You must be able to determine what you want the customer to do once they reach your page and they should be easily guided to the next step. Do you want them to call you right away? Fill out a quick form to request a quote?
4. You either went over budget or paid too little
"I’ve come across far too many small businesses who ended up with a horrible website after hiring a cheap designer. At the other end of the spectrum, I’ve also encountered far too many companies who shot for the stars by attempting to hire an expensive agency famed for working with big brands, only to find out the agency doesn’t have the skills to help an ROI-focused small business"
"When it comes to launching a new website or redeveloping your current one, do your research. Choosing the right Web marketing agency could make or break your website. It’s also best to keep in mind that being too money-focused can skew the whole process in the wrong direction."
We have experienced exactly what Pozin describes above and have ended up redesigning many pages for our clients who initially went with the cheaper proposal but the page was poorly constructed, the design did not represent the company or it simply was not helping them achieve their needs.
5. Your content is stale
According to Pozin "if your website is lacking a fresh feel in terms of content, your customer may assume you’re not in business any longer--or worse, you’re not innovative enough to get ahead of the competition. For appealing content, ensure your addressing the needs of both your current and potential customers. Update frequently, especially with company updates, news, and trends. If you have a blog on your website, consider updating it at least once a week to help drive visitors to your website and improve your search engine optimization."
We can help you with that by developing new content, keywords and Search Engine Optimization strategies that will help bring customers back to your page and have a high ranking in searches.
6. You decided to DIY
"Web design is better left to the pros. While a DIY initiative may seem necessary to accommodate your small budget, you’re probably not going to do your small business justice on the Web. Your website will be the first chance many of your customers have to interact with your brand; presenting a DIY experience may turn them away." says Pozin.
We couldn't agree with him more.
7. Your website lacks mobile compatibility
Pozin's article states "seventy-five percent of smartphone Internet users prefer a mobile-friendly site, but 96 percent say they’ve encountered sites that were not designed for mobile devices."
While not all websites must have a separate version created for mobile devices, many would benefit from it. arangostudio can help you determine whether your business needs a mobile site and create one for you when necessary.
8. Your social media buttons are broken
You are missing out on opportunities and sending out the wrong message to potential clients.
Source: 8 Web Design Mistakes Small Businesses Make by Ilya Pozin, CEO of Open Me and columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn
