In today's technological age, your business will not survive without a website. Consumers turn to the Internet for everything, from product reviews to online shopping. You need to make sure you give them the option to search your web page for information about you and your company. However, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. When it comes to creating your website, avoid the following mistakes:
1. A crowded home page
Nothing pushes customers away like a website that hurts their eyes. Flashy ads, heavy text and no pictures are going to cause people to hit the red X. Visitors should be able to jump from one main point to another with ease, Deborah Mitchell, CEO and founder of Deborah Mitchell Media Associates, told Entrepreneur. Their eyes should follow a clear path from the top of the page to the bottom. They shouldn't have to search the fine print for what they need.
2. No navigation bar
Simplicity is key. A search bar ensures that consumers have that ease. If people have to struggle to find what they need on your page, they're going to quickly leave it. The menu bar should provide clear topics that narrow down all the services you provide and there should be a place where site visitors can type in the terms they want to search for, Mitchell said. There should be no guessing games with the content that appears on your web page. Write everything in language that consumers will understand.
3. Not mobile friendly
Computers are no longer the main tool for consumers. Smartphones and tablets provide endless ways for them to use the Internet. However, if your website isn't mobile friendly, it's not going to generate much extra traffic. People are always on the go and they need tools that cater to them. If your site is made strictly for computers, it won't show up correctly on mobile devices, which will cause consumers to leave it. You shouldn't abandon your website strategy, but you should also include a mobile one, Peter Gasca, an entrepreneur, consultant and author, explained in Entrepreneur.
4. Missing About/Contact Us sections
When people visit your website for the first time, they want to know who you are. What can you offer them and why should they care? If they can't easily find that information on your page, you're going to lose business. More than 50 percent of respondents to the 2015 B2B Web Usability Report stated that the About section established credibility and was second to only contact information. Provide backgrounds and histories for both your company and your employees. There should also be clear links to social media pages, phone numbers and emails. Nearly all participants in the survey said they would leave a website that didn't provide easy-to-find contact information, according to Gasca.
Anyone can create a website, but not everyone can make one that's successful. If you're not positive you can make yours attractive to consumers, you can always work a graphic designer into your financial plan. No matter what it takes, make sure your website is simple to navigate, easy to read and accessible and you'll have people returning.