Websites are a great marketing asset for small businesses. They provide newly launched fledgling companies with the chance to have their name heard in a competitive market and a great platform to deal with customers. However, while there may be a number of ways to have people access your website, the problem involves keeping them there.
Many times, people tend to browse websites that have content they want to access but not browse them extensively. They close the website after spending just a few minutes on it. Retaining possible customers on a website is something crucial for a small business. If the customers are not interacting with the website, a major marketing avenue is not working for a business.
Here are 7 web design mistakes often made by small businesses you should avoid.
1. Content that Demands Attention
Showing off your content is something that is never going to get the customer’s attention. Instead of appealing to them, the “Look at Me” approach is actually more detrimental to a website’s prospects. Rather than having to endure information dumps and lengthy details about a business, people want to the point information on how you can help them.
2. Confused Branding
Customers appreciate quality. But rather than being mediocre to good at everything, you need to simply be very good at something to appeal to customers. Do not highlight multiple aspects of your business with glorified taglines. Instead of building a positive image of your business, that approach is bound to make your business look like a mishmash of different mediocre things. Just make sure that you let your customers know what you offer them and how you’re very good at offering just that.
3. Lack of Credibility
A business can claim to be a hundred different things. It can espouse various aspects that set it apart from the rest, but none of them will have the slightest effect on the public until there’s some credibility to the claims.
Making your claims credible is not an easy task. After all, the public might not even believe you. However, a good way to do that is with the usage of different methods that show how your business is good at what it does. Customer testimonials are a great way of making claims credible. Other methods involve revealing the statistics of your business, making use of accreditations, and avenues such as BBB. Whatever method you employ, making claims credible is a necessity.
4. Inefficient Contact Options
Most websites offer a contact option to visitors. This is especially true for businesses. Having the ability to contact a business gives customers the opportunity to ask questions and make their ideas and needs heard. It is the customers’ needs that determine a business’ operations after all. However, if the contact options you offer your customers are not efficient and easy to use, your customers might not use them at all.
You need to make it easy for your customers to contact you. The one thing internet users hate is complexity, and making a simple feature like contacting complex is bound to turn many probably customers – or even regular customers away from your business.
5. Confusing Navigation
Tying in with the previous point, if rudimentary website functions are made hard for people, they are going to turn away from your website. Website navigation needs to be simplistic and easy. If a visitor does not know how they are supposed to go around your website, they will leave very quickly.
6. Not Showing Your Success
Tying in with the credibility aspect, a customer judges how good you are based on your previous work. You need to show your success to the world and have them realize that you are genuinely good at what you do. Showing your success in your field of work is a great way of attracting customers.
7. Non-responsive Web Design
In the era of smartphones, having a non-mobile friendly website is a cardinal sin. Non-responsive web designs are not just going to confuse customers who access the website via mobiles, but also irritate them. It’s a good method of turning your customers away.
Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites over those that are not in mobile search results. The Google algorithm change that occurred in 2015 tweaked the way Google displays mobile search results. Websites that are optimized for mobile rank better than those that don’t. This means, you definitely need to have a responsive web design to get an SEO boost.
Make sure to avoid these common website mistakes – Hire a pro
When choosing a web design freelancer or agency, make sure they have a proven track record of success that you can relate to your business. Read their case studies carefully to understand how they can help you succeed in your business as well. Read testimonials of past clients. And above all, choose a partner that bases all creatives they do on hard data.