5 big website mistakes

It’s fairly common knowledge that a website is necessary for just about every organization. But if you do have a website, it needs to be more than just an attractive online brochure.

Are you making any of the following five mistakes with your website?

1. Doesn’t serve your business goals.

Before you get too deep into the details of your website, start high level. The website needs to serve the goals you have for you organization. If it doesn’t feed into at least one of your business goals, it’s time to re-evaluate the purpose of your website.

2. Isn’t easy to navigate.

It doesn’t matter if your website serves your company’s goals if nobody can actually use it! Making sure your website is easy for others to navigate is absolutely essential. In the web industry, we refer to that as good usability.

Not sure if your website is easy for others to navigate? Ask some customers, friends and relatives for some honest feedback. Or just have someone sit down in front of you on a computer, give them a specific task to perform on your site, and see whether it’s easy for them to do or not.

Another option is Peek by UserTesting. You can get a free 5-minute video of a real person using your website.

3. Doesn’t encourage visitors to know, like and trust you.

Once your website is aligned with your company’s goals and is easy to use, the next step is to give your website visitors a good impression of you and your business.

One of the best ways to do that is through a regularly updated blog with content that’s not purely promotional. Here at T&S, we like to say everyone has a slightly different recipe for PIE. That is to say, they have to strike the right balance between Promotional, Informational and Educational. Too many companies have too much P in their PIE, so make sure you don’t make that mistake.

4. Doesn’t capture information about your visitors.

The next step is to get those visitors to provide you with their information. Here are a few things you might offer:

• A subscription to an informational newsletter
• A free quote
• An ebook or whitepaper
• A worksheet
• A video course

Regardless of which one you go with, have some method on your website for capturing information from visitors that have decided they know, like and trust you, and have decided they would like additional information or communication.

5. Has no links to your social media.

In addition to getting their information, provide the opportunity for them to connect with you on platforms they already visit on a regular basis. Create a presence on various social media platforms, keep them updated, and make sure your website gives visitors an opportunity to connect with you there.

Of course, make sure you only link to social media site’s your consistently active on. Linking to a Facebook page you haven’t updated in six months doesn’t do a whole lot to build up trust.

If your website falls short in any of these five areas, it may need anything from a minor tweak to major changes. It may even need to be recreated from the ground up. If you’re not sure, be sure to seek the advice of a professional.