A Few Common Goof-Ups Made on Small Business Websites

Small businesses are wise to create websites, but sometimes miss the point of what websites are about. Understanding that a website is not a get rich quick scheme is an important key to approaching web development. Here are common website mistakes made by impatient small businesses: Rushing to Make Sales Before your website can win the trust and loyalty of customers, you need to first learn about your target market from studying analytics and reading their comments. Getting too ambitious about sales can send the wrong message to followers who may not be ready to buy anything and just want to learn about your product. Complex Design The problem with too much fancy web design is that it can look busy and confusing, which can cause visitors to exit the site quickly. Easy navigation and quality content are more important than a fancy design. Google and Wikipedia didn't become two of the most successful websites because of their designs. Missing Call to Action Without a call to action a website may not generate leads. The website must direct users to take some kind of action in order to create interesting interaction that can lead to sales. Even if the message is "contact us," the website benefits by making users conscious of how they can connect with you. If you are selling a product on your site, it's advantageous to include links on the home page to product pages. Outdated Content It's important for all websites to create a stream of fresh content because that's what search engines are looking to index. It's also what users are looking for. When all they find on your site is old content, it creates the impression of an abandoned site or one that has lost touch with its followers.