10. You Hired Your Nephew
So you heard that he has created a site or two, besides he knows how to use your audio system. Thinking of the money you could save, you decide to give him a chance. If you have fallen into this trap you've with little doubt found out what the popular adage means to "get what you paid for". Not only do you now have a website that is no benefit for you, but you have lost out on the benefits of well designed and marketed website could have done for you.
9. You Outsourced Your Work to a Near-Third-World-Country
Another tempting alternative to what might seem to be costly work inside the country. There are two reasons why this alternative is very risky and painful for you and your business. First, communication problems, you either will have a hard time understanding or being understood by your the firm or freelancer you hired and most likely will not be able to find a civil time to be able to communicate over the phone. And second, you'll find like so many have already, that you'll be promised everything and receive a small portion of what you expected.
8. You Purchased a Template and Did it Yourself.
Imagine finding out that someone decided to compete directly with your business. After a little bit of research you find that this competitor has no experience in your industry, has no relevant education and plans on putting little money and time in competing with your business. While you've received a related degree in your field, you've had years of experience doing what you do best and you have even excelled at it. Of course you have little reason to feel threatened by this newly learned competition. If you've decided build a website yourself and haven't succeeded online and haven't figured out why, bluntly speaking, look at your competition. When seasoned web designers and marketers are working on your competition's web presence, there is a reason why your losing valuable clients to them.
7. Your Website is Outdated
If you don't take your business seriously, how can you expect your clients to do the same. Your visitors are looking for the latest and greatest products or services. In short, get with it, or fail.
6. You Created a Splash Page
Even if you think your splash page looks "cool", your providing little to no benefit to your visitors. Our studies have shown that websites with Intro or Splash Pages lose a multiple of visitors than if they didn't have Splash Page.
5. You Can Count the Number of Pages on Your Site with One Finger.
Limiting the content on your site is a very ignorant maneuver. There are so many opportunities your website can take advantage of, but without content virtually none of it is possible. Content is king, build it and they will come.
4. Your Site is Boring
Keep things fun, keep things light and above all keep things interesting. It is interest that brought your visitor to your site in the first place and it will be interest that will keep your visitor from leaving. If everything about your website is boring, you'll never convince them to stay long enough to take a chance on you.
3. You Only Hired a Web Designer/Developer.
If you forgot to appropriate sufficient funds to get visitors to your website, your website does no good for you. Not only do you need a website to succeed, but you need visitors as well, and just by building a website will not bring anyone to it. Without traffic, you will fail.
2. Your Website is Too Broad
You can have traffic to your website, and your design might be appealing to your visitors but if you show no uniqueness or advantage over your competitors your losing more business than you should. Although Branding is often misunderstood, it is a crucial part of defining a unique business image and which should be portrayed through your site. Show a competitive advantage through your website design, style and content and you'll retain more customers and take a few from your competitors as well.
1. Your Website Doesn't Influence Your Visitors to a Profitable Action.
If you didn't plan out the primary and secondary objectives of your website, then your website is probably spinning your visitors in circles. Give your website an objective, and every aspect of it should be in accomplishing it. If your trying to sell a product make it appealing and easy for them to do so, if you want them to call you on the phone do the same. Too often a website is about a company and loses its potential influence it can have to make your company more money. If you aren't getting what you need from your visitors, your website has failed. - 16738
So you heard that he has created a site or two, besides he knows how to use your audio system. Thinking of the money you could save, you decide to give him a chance. If you have fallen into this trap you've with little doubt found out what the popular adage means to "get what you paid for". Not only do you now have a website that is no benefit for you, but you have lost out on the benefits of well designed and marketed website could have done for you.
9. You Outsourced Your Work to a Near-Third-World-Country
Another tempting alternative to what might seem to be costly work inside the country. There are two reasons why this alternative is very risky and painful for you and your business. First, communication problems, you either will have a hard time understanding or being understood by your the firm or freelancer you hired and most likely will not be able to find a civil time to be able to communicate over the phone. And second, you'll find like so many have already, that you'll be promised everything and receive a small portion of what you expected.
8. You Purchased a Template and Did it Yourself.
Imagine finding out that someone decided to compete directly with your business. After a little bit of research you find that this competitor has no experience in your industry, has no relevant education and plans on putting little money and time in competing with your business. While you've received a related degree in your field, you've had years of experience doing what you do best and you have even excelled at it. Of course you have little reason to feel threatened by this newly learned competition. If you've decided build a website yourself and haven't succeeded online and haven't figured out why, bluntly speaking, look at your competition. When seasoned web designers and marketers are working on your competition's web presence, there is a reason why your losing valuable clients to them.
7. Your Website is Outdated
If you don't take your business seriously, how can you expect your clients to do the same. Your visitors are looking for the latest and greatest products or services. In short, get with it, or fail.
6. You Created a Splash Page
Even if you think your splash page looks "cool", your providing little to no benefit to your visitors. Our studies have shown that websites with Intro or Splash Pages lose a multiple of visitors than if they didn't have Splash Page.
5. You Can Count the Number of Pages on Your Site with One Finger.
Limiting the content on your site is a very ignorant maneuver. There are so many opportunities your website can take advantage of, but without content virtually none of it is possible. Content is king, build it and they will come.
4. Your Site is Boring
Keep things fun, keep things light and above all keep things interesting. It is interest that brought your visitor to your site in the first place and it will be interest that will keep your visitor from leaving. If everything about your website is boring, you'll never convince them to stay long enough to take a chance on you.
3. You Only Hired a Web Designer/Developer.
If you forgot to appropriate sufficient funds to get visitors to your website, your website does no good for you. Not only do you need a website to succeed, but you need visitors as well, and just by building a website will not bring anyone to it. Without traffic, you will fail.
2. Your Website is Too Broad
You can have traffic to your website, and your design might be appealing to your visitors but if you show no uniqueness or advantage over your competitors your losing more business than you should. Although Branding is often misunderstood, it is a crucial part of defining a unique business image and which should be portrayed through your site. Show a competitive advantage through your website design, style and content and you'll retain more customers and take a few from your competitors as well.
1. Your Website Doesn't Influence Your Visitors to a Profitable Action.
If you didn't plan out the primary and secondary objectives of your website, then your website is probably spinning your visitors in circles. Give your website an objective, and every aspect of it should be in accomplishing it. If your trying to sell a product make it appealing and easy for them to do so, if you want them to call you on the phone do the same. Too often a website is about a company and loses its potential influence it can have to make your company more money. If you aren't getting what you need from your visitors, your website has failed. - 16738
About the Author:
Author, Speaker and Expert web designer and Marketer, Matthew Henage, is a leading expert in building successful websites. Henage is the CEO of Utah website design company, Superior Design Inc., a premier web design firm in the state of Utah.
