You Don’t Have One
Mistake: Many businesses think they don’t need a web site, especially if they rely on local traffic or walk-ins, and maybe your business is so good that you don’t – what a nice problem to have! But for most businesses, customers use a web site to decide if your business is legitimate or not. And if you don’t have one, many customers will just move on to the next option. Not only that, without a web site, customers can’t search for you – one of the main ways that people figure out which businesses to visit. Not very good, right?
Fix: Create a beautiful web site, even if it’s only one page. You know if you need a major web site or a simple one – whichever it is, create the site and make it look great. Customers will feel more comfortable knowing you took the time to have an online presence, and you’ll have a spot to show the world that you have a great business!
It’s Too Complicated
Mistake: We see a lot of web sites that are good, solid sites to let customers know what a business does. But sometimes the sites are too complicated – too many pictures, too many widgets, or navigation that isn’t easy to use. You want to share the details about your business, but keep the visitor in mind when you figure out how your site looks, functions and reads. Remember – the purpose of your web site is to get customers to contact you or stop by your business. That’s it! Think of your site as a resume for your business – keep it relevant, easy to use, and make it look great.
Fix: Figure out what needs to be on the site (contact information, services, location, etc.) and start with that. Make your content good and meaningful, make your navigation user-friendly and easy to use, and show off your best photos. You can always add to your site later; start with the basics and build more as necessary.
It’s Not Optimized for Mobile
Mistake: We all know mobile is here to stay now, right? Well, maybe. Many people still don’t think about mobile visitors when putting together their web sites. Trust us – it’s so important that 48% of users say that if they arrive on a business site that isn’t working well on mobile, they take it as an indication of the business simply not caring (MarginMedia).
Fix: Create a mobile version of your site, even if it’s a really pared-down version with the basic information you need to share. Most web site templates these days are responsive, which means the web site automatically resizes based on the device someone uses to access it.
You Forget About It
Mistake: Many times businesses take the time to create a beautiful web site with the perfect content and look, and then they forget about it. How do I know they forget about it? Links don’t work, pictures don’t load, or pages are no longer accessible. Don’t give the impression that you’ve abandoned your site – customers won’t like it.
Fix: Even if you don’t update the overall site on a regular basis, you need to maintain what you do have. Check it once a week or a few times a month, just to be sure you experience it as your customers do. If you see issues, fix them as soon as possible.