As a business owner, your website could be your greatest asset. This is especially true, of course, if your business is primarily conducted online, but it’s also true for any business, as in terms of marketing, communication, and commerce, there are benefits for any industry.
However, care needs to be taken. If you are guilty of the errors we are going to discuss in a moment, then your website might not prove so fruitful, after all.
#1: Your website is invisible in Google searches
To get more website traffic, you need to focus on SEO. But if you have paid little attention to this one aspect within site design, or if you have made changes that could affect your page ranking, then potential customers are going to have a hard time finding you on Google.
The consequences for you? Very few customers, of course, and this will have a major impact on your profits. There are loads of articles on SEO within this website, so have a read of some of our previous posts, and then consider finding a reputable SEO professional to help you make improvements to your website.
#2: Your website isn’t trustworthy
We are living in an age where hacking and other forms of cybercrime are rife. If somebody visits your site and decides that it doesn’t look particularly safe, then they aren’t going to stick around for very long. What are we talking about? Well, the lack of a security certificate is one problem, so you might want to look into getting an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate here.
You should also include any accreditations your business might have earned, as well as customer testimonials to encourage trust from newbies to your business, and photographs of yourself and your happy staff to put a face to your business. When you have taken steps to prove your trust on your website, you should see an upturn in customers. If your website is lacking then, make the relevant changes as soon as possible.
#3: Your website is plagued with errors
Are there spelling and grammatical mistakes in the content of your website? Do links point to 404 errors? Do pages load slowly because you have failed to optimize your site for mobile? Is the font difficult to read because of the colors you have chosen for both text and background? If your website is plagued with these and any other errors, then your site visitors might assume the quality of your product or service is equally as shoddy.
You need to sort your website out, and if necessary, give it a fresh redesign to show signs of better quality. This might include hiring a web designer to give your site an overhaul, as well as a freelance writer or a proofreader to better improve your site’s content. Make sure you test your site regularly too, and if you do spot any errors, make every effort to correct them before too many people are put off your business because of them.
#4: Your website has limited contact options
At the very least, you need to have your business phone number and email address situated prominently on your website. If anybody wants to get in touch with you, they will then have an avenue to do so. However, you could always add more contact options. This might include a contact form, as this is an easy way for your site visitors to communicate with you directly from your site.
You should also consider a ‘live chat’ function on your site, as for anybody not wanting to be put on hold on the phone for an age, or unwilling to wait forever for you to reply to an email, this is one way to make communication easier for them. It’s not only about putting the customer’s needs first because as you probably understand already, if you can find better ways to engage with your (potential) customers, you are going to make profits in your business.
#5: Your website doesn’t promote your business effectively
We have already mentioned customer testimonials, but there are other ways to promote your business on your website. You might want to include employee testimonials too, as well as video tutorials of the products you sell. If your business has gone green, you might want to highlight the eco-measures your business has taken, as this way you will attract those customers who have a care for the environment.
Consider the photographs you use too; you might want to hire a professional photographer to create those pics that are going to show your business in the best light. You see, your website is one of your greatest marketing tools, but if it doesn’t showcase your worth effectively, then your site visitors might migrate over to the competition.
Finally
So, has anything we have discussed today relate to your website? If so, make the relevant changes, because if you can improve your website, you will ultimately improve your business. Let us know your thoughts, and if we have missed out any other common website errors, please remind us of them (along with your ideas for fixes).
