5websitemistakestoavoid

 

The internet has been referred to as “the great equalizer”. This means that your company, whether a small local business or a publicly traded corporation, has equal opportunity to create a great or terrible online reputation.

 

 

Here are the top 5 Mistakes we recommend your company avoid in 2015.

  1. Failure to Capture Information
  2. Flawed Navigation
  3. Mobile Compatibility Issues
  4. Slow Load Times
  5. Poor Typography & Page Design

 

FAILURE TO CAPTURE INFORMATION.

The likelihood of a visitor converting to a client on their first visit to your website can be minimally effected be a certain number of design elements. Calls to Action, value stories and visually appealing design are all part of what makes a website work. However, research has shown that marketing return on investment thrives when you hit your audience where they live. Their inbox. Compare the average organic reach of 6% on Facebook to email marketing campaigns seeing around 20%-30% open rates. You cannot afford to let your visitors leave without giving you their email address. The simple addition of a subscriber form on your website can provide your company with an attentive audience of people who are much more likely to convert.

 

FLAWED NAVIGATION.

Are you having trouble keeping people on your website? There is a sweet spot for the length of time a person remains on a site that will drastically increase the likelihood of them converting.1 There is also, nothing that drives people out of your site faster than a confusing, ineffective navigation. A user should not have to hunt to find what they are looking for. If they do – you can expect them to go back to the Google drawing board to find someone who can get them what they want faster and with less effort. Consider providing a sidebar with a navigation to pages that your clients are most likely to visit, ensure that your main navigation is available on EVERY page of your website, and when possible – include “breadcrumbs” on interior pages to easily allow the user to find their way back “home”.

 

MOBILE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES.

“80% of internet users own a smartphone”2 This statistic should, in and of itself, drive small business owners to demand mobile compatibility of their websites. If that is not enough – Google is now directly contacting website owners through Webmaster tools to remind them of the importance of a mobile friendly website. They have even created a mobile compatibility testing tool, to help clarify what is considered “mobile friendly” Try it here.

 

SLOW LOAD TIME.

Attention spans of your audience are at an all-time low. Bounce Rate from your site begins to increase exponentially after a load time reaches just 4 seconds. “But I want a dynamic and visually appealing site” you say? We here you. Large photos and graphics are what attract your visitors to learn more about your services and products. There is a way to have your cake and eat it too! Consult your website developer or get in touch with Bridgetown Marketing to help you condense the file sizes of these images and java scripts. The difference of a second could be the difference of a sale.

 

POOR TYPOGRAPHY & PAGE LAYOUT.

There is a time and a place for a good book. A cup of tea, a comfy chair and your favorite novel on a rainy day – sounds like a nice little Sunday. That is not what your website is for. You have spent time, effort and probably some serious money on creating a website that is meant to help you communicate your brand and convert your audience. You need attention grabbing content –sure, but what really counts is HOW your audience is seeing your page. Dull typography, small font sizes, poor color choices are enough to drive people to the next site. But let’s be positive for a moment and consider how succinct and simple content can affect a users experience. Tell them why you care. Tell them how you will help them. Tell them what you do. The more simple and to the point you can be, the more likely your audience will be to pick up the phone and give you the opportunity to connect and answer their questions.

 

  1. https://www.the-makegood.com/2013/07/18/use-data-to-tell-facts-not-stories
  2. https://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics

We hope you have found this information useful. If you feel like your website is in danger of committing any of these mistakes, give us a call. We would be happy to diagnose your site and give you are recommendations.

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