Most business owners think the biggest threat to their new website is a competitor that upgrades their internet marketing, a dissatisfied customer who leaves a bad review online, or maybe even an algorithm change from Google that dramatically shifts the search engine results.
In reality, though, many of the problems clients have turning a website into a source of new business are self-inflicted. In other words, they hurt their own chances by engaging in common but predictable blunders. To show you just how easy it is to make these kinds of mistakes, here are seven ways business owners and executives inadvertently kill their own websites…
#1 Throwing Too Much Onto Every Page
Because web pages aren’t bound by the same kinds of physical constraints as printed brochures and other advertising pieces, clients can be tempted to put anything and everything in front of the customer. That usually leads to frustration rather than sales, however, as visitors get overwhelmed and take their business elsewhere.
#2 Copying a Competitor
If you take content, layouts, or even proprietary marketing ideas from your competitors, then you’re going to run into a number of problems. For one thing, Google is cracking down on companies who “borrow” from others in their industry. And for another, using something you don’t have permission for could leave you in legal hot water.
#3 Using Bad Content and Images
A great web layout will only take you so far. The images and web content you add to your pages should help tell a story, build your credibility, and differentiate you from your competitors. If you rush these elements (or worse, borrow them from another source), it’s going to have poor effect on your bottom line.
#4 Going Cheap with Web Hosting
The quality of your web hosting will determine how quickly your pages load, the security of your website, and whether you have reliable backups you can count on in case your website ever goes down. It’s worth a few extra dollars a day to store your site on a premium server and get all the extra benefits that come with it.
#5 Leaving a Website “as-is”
Websites are designed and launched, but they aren’t ever really finished. You should continue to add new content, updates, and offers as your company grows and evolves. If your website never changes, why should customers ever come back to see what’s new?
#6 Adding Extra Apps and Plugins
Occasionally, clients decide on their own to add lots of new apps and plugins to their websites without asking us first. This can lead to issues with layouts that no longer load properly, programming conflicts between different apps, and even online security loopholes that can be exploited by hackers.
#7 Ignoring Web Analytics
Your web analytics package will tell you who is coming to your site, how they are arriving there, and the behaviors they take after they have found your content. In other words, all the information you need to make your business more profitable. Far too many businesses ignore this treasure trove of data when it could help them expand their profits tremendously.
There are two ways to avoid these seven mistakes so many of your peers and competitors are bound to make. The first is by simply being aware of them and knowing what to look out for. The second is having an experienced creative team on your side who can help you set and execute the right kind of strategy.