You’ve heard the saying ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression,’ right? Nowhere is it truer than on the web, and when ‘Good Websites Go Bad,’ the repercussions to your business can be enormous. Your website is your storefront to the world.
- It gives you the ability to talk to your prospects 24/7/365.
- It levels the playing field – your company size is less important than your ability to engage people.
- It allows you to sell your customers on what you can do for them, without leaving your office.
But when your website isn’t done right all of those website benefits – 24/7 availability, worldwide access, speaking to your customers directly – can easily turn into a giant online yard sign with the message “Annoying Website…Stay Away!”
While not having a website hasn’t yet made it to the list of seven deadly sins (depending on your line of work!), having a really bad site definitely counts against you. If your customers can’t find you online, they might remember that when they finally find you. But a website with one or more of the mistakes listed below? Whether fair or not, they add up…and create a growing sense of unease about doing business with your company.
So what are the eight most common website mistakes you should avoid?
Mistake #1
Little or no relevant, engaging information (“Nice pictures…but what do you do?”)
Potential customers are visiting your site to learn about a product or service they need. They have a problem, and they are hoping you can solve it. Every bit of your content should be created with this in mind.
Mistake #2
Poor layout and inconsistent design (“I’m confused. It looks like a bad Picasso.”)
Your website is a reflection of your brand. If your site visually appears as though MacDonald’s merged with UPS, well – chances are good you have some issues with inconsistent design. It’s jarring to the eye and confusing to the reader, and can cause frustration. Just because the guy down the street is really good at ‘web stuff’, it doesn’t mean he’s good at design or knowing how your customers would use your site.
Mistake #3
Broken links. (The dreaded ‘404 – Page Not Found’ error)
Bad links that lead nowhere waste time and make people angry. After all, the site promised that if we just clicked on the link we’d learn everything we ever wanted to know about your product or service. And all we have to show for it is a blank page that says 404 – Page Not Found. Translation? Your customer now has 404 reasons why they’ll never return to your site. Don’t make the same mistake – check every link on your website and make sure they point to the right pages.
Mistake #4
Typos (“Profesional Lawn Carr Company.”)
A caveat – as a writer, typos really bother me (even though I’ve been guilty of them, myself). Punctuation, capitalization, spelling…these things matter. Read your material over before posting it, then re-read it, then re-re-read it. No, I’m not stuttering; I’m just very serious about how your readers may view your company if your web content combines typos, misspellings or improper punctuation!
Mistake #5
Bad word choices (“Me to. You two. Their they are. Here oui go.”)
As with typos, using the wrong words in sentences add up to a poor impression of your company. Your customers expect professionalism when they visit with you in person. But it’s even more important when they visit you online, since you won’t be there to set their minds at ease.
Mistake #6
Forgetting your audience. (“Me, me, me!” instead of “What we can do to solve your problem”)
“We were founded in 1936 as a mechanical typewriter manufacturer, and were the first to implement a dedicated shift-lock key. Today, our software solutions reflect our heritage…” That kind of information is all good, but keep it on the Company History page. Customers are visiting your site to learn what you can do for them.
Mistake #7
Confusing navigation (“How do I get to another page?!? Help! I’m stuck!”)
We all know the standard website navigation routine. It usually looks something like this:
Home | About Us | Products | Services | Contact Us.
But when navigation strays too far from the norm, it’s confusing…and confused people will click away from your site. Ditch the picture of a stove (“What’s Cooking With Our Products”) or an apple tree (“Learn About the Company’s Roots”) and stick with what your customers and prospects know and expect from the web. Put sub-navigation where it’s expected to be – in a dropdown menu under the related topic.
Mistake #8
Slow site (“Yawn. I’m still waiting…”)
We belong to an instant-gratification society. When we want an answer, we want it now. If your site takes too long to load, people won’t wait around to see what you have to say. They’ll gravitate to the site that delivers the information they need at near-instantaneous speeds.
What do you find most annoying about poorly done websites?