A business website is arguably the most important marketing and branding tool today. It is often the first level of interaction customers have with your company and many visitors will decide whether to work with you based solely on how your website is designed. Therefore, you need a website that is designed to engage and meet your visitors’ needs. One of the best ways to achieve this is to learn about common mistakes other businesses have made when designing their websites to avoid making the same errors.
The business value of a business website is that it creates a solid online presence and boosts your brand image and market reach. Even if your business is not Internet based, a website can be used to create a certain impression and ultimately contribute to your bottom line. The key is to make sure you create the best impression. Here are six of the most common mistakes businesses make with website design:
Mistake 1: Building For The Sake Of Building
Websites are important and some businesses believe that they should have a website, so they go ahead and simply build one. You should first take steps to define your target market – who is it that you want and expect to visit your website.
Once you have a defined target market you can then take time to build your site for your market. For example, if the majority of your target market uses mobile devices to browse the Web you should take steps to design your site so that it is viewable on mobile devices.
You should also determine what you want visitors to do on your site. Some companies want them to click through to another site, while others want them to sign up. By defining how you want your visitors to interact you can then develop your content and design around this.
Mistake 2: Designing A Website That Is Too Busy
It can be tempting to put all of your information on one page or even have a ton of images and videos. The truth is, this can be distracting largely because once someone lands on your page, they won’t know how to get around, find the information they want, or even to know what they should do next.
Busy or flashy websites with lots of animations or large amounts of text also usually don’t scale all that well. So, when someone looks at your site on a mobile device they will likely find it too hard to navigate and leave, which is counter to what you are trying to achieve.
Instead, aim for a website that is simple and clean. Important information should be quick to find and read and it should be clear who you are, what you have to say, and what you want the visitor to do.
Mistake 3: Lacking Call To Actions
Most business related websites have a goal as to what they want visitors to do. Maybe it’s download an app, call the company, or even sign make a purchase online. It is essential that you lead visitors toward what you want them to do in the most clear and concise way. The best way to do this is through a call to action. These are usually buttons at the bottom of sections or pages that motivate the user to click and follow the instructions on what to do next, be that sign up to something or get in touch.
The best calls to action stand out from the content, drawing the reader’s eye and hopefully inspiring them to click. They should also be clearly written, simple, and direct. e.g., ‘Call us today!’ or ‘Download now!’
Mistake 4: Misguided Content
It may seem worthwhile to write in-depth content about your products or services but this isn’t always the case. People skim read the basics on the Web and it’s different than other mediums.
What you should do is condense down your content so that it only states the most important information. Tell the reader what your product or service does and provide a few of the most important benefits. What you are looking to do is develop enough interest so that visitors to your site will click on the call to action and connect with you.
If you have the time and profits, creating a more visual site where you showcase the products or show how you can help in a short video may lead to higher engagement and possibly higher customer conversions. Take a look at the popular software and service sites like Dropbox, Microsoft, and Google. The content is highly visible and simple, yet provides just enough information so the user knows what the service is and what they are expected to do.
Mistake 5: Static Content
It can be tempting to invest the time to write a great website, get the content online then just leave it sitting there. The Internet changes and what might have been regarded as great website design and content a couple of years ago may not be seen in the same light today.
It is advisable to periodically update your site’s design and content to reflect current trends; making it more modern. Another related aspect of your content is that you need to ensure that your content is up-to-date. If you are hosting a contest and put the information on your site, you should make sure to take it off of your site, or update it when the date passes. It looks a little unprofessional to have content that is still talking about 2012 or even 2013.
Mistake 6: Doing It Yourself
The vast majority of small business owners and managers don’t have in-depth Web design skills, yet are determined to build their company’s website themselves. This can lead to unexpected problems or a website that doesn’t meet your needs. We strongly recommend that you work with a qualified designer who can help ensure that your website is designed and built to high standards.
If you are looking to boost your website’s design contact us today. We can help!
Published on 20th February 2014 by Jeanne DeWitt.
