6 Common Web Design Mistakes Small Businesses Make
Websites or web pages are the need of the hour for those who are running a business or planning to start one. Today, online shopping has a larger market share than that of traditional brick and mortar stores. A website makes it possible to connect your business to the world. Whether it is big or small, connecting with new clients can literally be just a click away. If a website plays such a vital role in today’s business, it is imperative that your website is designed in a way that it fulfills the needs and criteria of your business? As a small business owner, you do not want to create a bad online impression. A website should be easy to navigate, present your company in a positive light, and be free from errors that would detract, or otherwise take away from the overall user experience. Some business owners decide to hire a professional web developer, while others decide to take a stab at doing it themselves. The DIY website can be good but does not always have the clean cut look that a professionally developed website can produce.
Here we will be sharing 6 most common web design mistakes made by small businesses:
1. Missing Mobile View
Most people keep their mobile phone on them every minute of every day. When someone has a question about a product or service, or vendors that might be able to help them to accomplish their next big project, they are likely to turn to their cell phone for answers. Many are ready to buy right then, and if your website does not present well, it is likely they will go elsewhere. Surveys have shown that approximately 40% of people will switch to a competitor’s website just because the website is not mobile-friendly.
The majority of people use a mobile device to access the internet. If your company’s web presence must be mobile-friendly and present well on small screen devices. How does your website look when viewed on a mobile device? Is it lacking? Are there some aspects or elements that don’t present quite right and thereby draw down the overall appeal?
Because there are literally tens of thousands of different devices that your website might be viewed on, it is imperative that your website be designed in such a way to be able to automatically adapt depending upon the screen size of the viewing device. Responsive website design is a technique whereby a website can flow or adapt, resizing or reordering elements as necessary so
In today’s online marketplace, having a mobile-friendly website is imperative to the health and success of your business.
Points to remember:
- Your website should be compatible and visually appealing on all internet ready devices.
- Before launching your website, make sure to check how it looks on a variety of device types (desktop, tablet, smart phone), as well as within a variety of browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.)
2. Weak Website Call to Action
A call to action or CTA is a way to try and get a potential client to use your service or buy your goods. A clean and clear call to action helps direct or funnel a website user where you want them to go, and ultimately results in the successful conversion of that site visitor into a revenue generating customer.
If you are offering a service, you ultimately want them to call and hire you. In this instance your call to action might be something like “Contact Us”, Hire Us”, or “Get A Free Quote”. Ecommerce websites, or websites that are selling physical goods ultimately want a site visitor to make a purchase, or place an order, so their CTA would be something more along the lines of “Add To Cart” or “Order Now”.
By having a strong, clear call to action on your website, you will be more likely to convert a site visitor into a paying customer.
Points to remember:
- A call to action should be simple and clear. Keep it short.
- CTAs should stand out from the rest of your site.
- Some examples of common CTAs are Sign up, Contact Us, Get Started, Add to Cart, Download, etc.
3. Lack of On-Page Search Engine Optimization
While your website will quickly be discovered by the search engines and your website’s content included within their database, it is unlikely that someone will find your website without some on page search engine optimization. If your website does not come up on the first page of the search engine results it is highly unlikely your link will even be noticed. Users very rarely venture past the first page of search results. In order to rank higher, and get noticed, some attention should be spent in the realm of search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is primarily divided into two main categories, on-page and off-page optimization. On page deals with how you have structured and set up your own website, i.e. “on” your page, whereas off page optimizations are things that you get other websites to do that effect how Google values your website. In general, off page optimizations cost more to implement and have on-going costs, on page optimizations are more cost effective in both the short and long term. You can visit our search engine optimization pages to learn more about both on and off page optimization techniques.
If your website follows the guidelines for SEO, then there is a higher chance of your business getting noticed in search engines.
Points to remember:
- Large images and videos can make your website slow loading. Google rewards sites which load faster. Thus, you may need to rethink and resize images and videos that you use on your website.
- Usage of H1 tag with appropriate keywords is a must for SEO. Your website can be the most appealing thing out there, but if no one sees it, then what good does it do you.
- Try to not use pop-up, or if you have to, keep their use minimal.
- Content on the page should be strong and related to your service or product. Keep your content up to date and error-free.
4. Hard To Find Contact Information
Make it as easy as possible for potential clients to get in contact with you. Once you have sold them on using your product or service, you don’t want to lose them simply because it isn’t easy for them to figure out how to get in contact with you. Offering site visitors a variety of ways to get in touch with you, will reap great rewards as well. One person might prefer email, while another likes calling, and yet another would prefer using some sort of instant messaging or chat functionality.
Quick response time is also important. In the world in which we live now-a-days, people don’t just want easy, they want fast. Because of this, offering speedier ways that a customer can interact with you will help increase the likelihood that you will be able to close the deal.
In short, the easier you make it for a potential customer to get in contact with you, through the medium that they are most comfortable with, the more likely you will end up landing a new client and your business will thrive online.
Points to remember:
- Make it easy for people to get in contact with you
- Get back to potential clients quickly
- Provide a variety of ways that you can be contacted
- If possible, provide a live chat option
5. Too Much, Too Little or Too Confusing
Users are very particular in what they are looking for on your page. Studies have shown that a site visitor will only take a couple of seconds to decide if your product or service is what they are looking for. Design your website in such a way that has the proper amount of information, not too much, nor too little. One that provides them with enough to make an informed decision, but not too much that they cannot find what they are looking for quickly. Keep the information simple, and straightforward. Keep the images, text and other things on the website limited. Flashing images, scrolling text, and blinking buttons, are no longer seen as good things (fortunately).
Spend time thinking about the best way to convey your business’s information. Keep it simple, get to the point quickly, and provide them with a clear indication of the next steps (see CTA). Too much content will not only slow the loading but will also leave users questioning if you are offering what they are looking for. Make it easy for them to scan through your site’s content. A prospective client should be able to quickly and easily get a feel for what your website is offering.
Points to remember:
- Don’t present too much or too little information.
- Minimalizing is good, but one needs to know how to do it correctly.
- Use site imagery in a manner that helps with content presentation
- Get to the point quickly and clearly
- Provide site users with clear indications of what you want them to do next.
- Keep everything relevant.
6. Out Of Date Content
Keep the information on your site’s pages up to date and relevant. Google (and other search engines) place a priority on websites that showcase current information, videos, and infographics. Keeping content up to date, and adding new content every couple of weeks helps make sure that search engines will see your website as a resource with information that is worthy of promotion within their Search Engine Results Pages. Ensure to update the FAQ section regularly.
Points to remember:
- Keep site content up to date
- Add new content frequently
- Remove any old/outdated content
Conclusion
There are many web design mistakes besides just those mentioned above. The above points are basic and are frequently overlooked by many small business owners. By focusing on fixing the aforementioned website mistakes you will be able to reap great rewards with little additional web development costs. Your website will provide prospective clients with a better (cleaner, faster, clearer, up to date) user experience. This more optimized design will be noticed by the search engines and is likely to result in an increase of traffic from the various search engines.
