10 Biggest Website Mistakes Businesses Make - and How to Fix Them
Your website is your digital storefront, so it’s important to make a good impression. But many businesses make common website mistakes that can turn away potential customers.
Here are the top 10 website mistakes businesses make and how to fix them:
1. Not Having a Clear Goal.
What do you want your website to achieve? Do you want to generate leads, sell products, or simply provide information about your business? Once you know your goal, you can design a website that’s tailored to achieve it.
How to fix it: Take some time to think about your business goals and what you want your website to accomplish. Once you have a good understanding of your goals, you can start to develop a website strategy. This strategy should outline the specific pages and features that will be needed to achieve your goals.
Your website is your digital storefront, it’s important to make a good impression.
For example, if your goal is to generate leads, you might want to create a landing page with a form for visitors to sign up for your newsletter. You could also offer a free e-book or white paper in exchange for their contact information.
2. Poor User Experience.
Your website should be easy to navigate and use. Make sure your menu is clear and concise, your fonts are legible, and your text is readable on all devices. Also, use images and videos to break up long sections of text and keep visitors engaged.
How to fix it: Have someone else test your website and give you feedback on the user experience. Pay attention to any areas where they get confused or frustrated. You can also use tools like Google Analytics to track how visitors are interacting with your website. This data can help you identify areas where you can improve the user experience.
For example, if your menu is too complex or difficult to understand, visitors are likely to get frustrated and leave your website. Try simplifying your menu and grouping related items together. You can also use icons and images to make your menu more visually appealing.
3. Inconsistent Branding.
Your website should reflect your brand’s image. Use the same colours, fonts, and imagery throughout your website and other marketing materials. This will help create a cohesive brand identity.
How to fix it: Develop a brand style guide that outlines your brand’s visual identity. This guide should include information on your brand’s colours, fonts, imagery, and tone of voice. Once you have a brand style guide, you can use it to ensure that your website and other marketing materials are consistent.
For example, if your brand colours are red and blue, use these colours throughout your website and other marketing materials. You should also use the same fonts and imagery throughout. This will help to create a strong brand identity in the minds of your target audience.
4. Poor Quality Visuals.
Visuals are important on websites. Use high-quality images and videos that are relevant to your business and target audience. Avoid using stock photos that are overused or generic.
How to fix it: Invest in professional photography or videography to create high-quality visuals for your website. You can also use stock photos, but be sure to choose unique and relevant images.
For example, if you’re a restaurant, use high-quality photos of your food on your website. You could also create videos of your chefs preparing dishes or giving cooking tips. This will help to give visitors a taste of what your restaurant has to offer.
5. Not Being Responsive.
A responsive website design ensures that your website looks good and functions well on all devices. This is important because more and more people are using smartphones and tablets to browse the web.
How to fix it: Choose a responsive website design template or have your website developed using a responsive framework. This will ensure that your website looks good and functions well on all devices.
For example, if your website is not responsive, visitors who are using smartphones or tablets will have a difficult time navigating and using it. This could lead them to leave your website and go to a competitor’s website instead.
6. Not Using Clear Calls to Action.
A call to action (CTA) is a statement that tells visitors what you want them to do next. For example, you might want them to sign up for your newsletter, download a white paper, or make a purchase.
How to fix it: Use clear and concise CTAs throughout your website. Tell visitors exactly what you want them to do and make it easy for them to do it. You can use buttons, links, or even images to create CTAs.
For example, if you want visitors to sign up for your newsletter, you could have a button that says “Subscribe to Our Newsletter.” Or, if you want visitors to download a white paper, you could have a link that says “Download Our White Paper.”
7. Not Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines (SEO).
SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This can help you attract more visitors to your website.
How to fix it: There are a number of things you can do to optimize your website for SEO. These include:
- Using relevant keywords throughout your website, including in your titles, headings, and body text.
- Building backlinks to your website from other high-quality websites.
- Creating high-quality content that is informative and engaging.
You can use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to track your website’s SEO performance and identify areas where you can improve.
8. Not Having a Secure Website.
A secure website uses HTTPS, which encrypts data transmitted between the website and visitors. This helps to protect visitors’ privacy and prevent sensitive information from being intercepted.
How to fix it: Install an SSL certificate on your website to enable HTTPS. This is a relatively simple process that can be done by most web hosting providers.
9. Not Keeping Your Website Up-to-date.
A well-maintained website is essential for attracting and retaining visitors. Make sure to regularly update your content, fix any broken links, and install security updates.
How to fix it: Schedule regular maintenance tasks for your website. This could include tasks such as updating your content, fixing broken links, and installing security updates. You can also use a website monitoring tool to track your website’s performance and identify any potential problems.
10. Not Having a Mobile-friendly Website.
More and more people are using smartphones and tablets to browse the web. It’s essential to make sure that your website looks good and functions well on all devices.
How to fix it: Use a responsive website design template or have your website developed using a responsive framework. This will ensure that your website looks good and functions well on all devices.
By avoiding these common website mistakes, you can create a website that is effective and engaging for your target audience.
