larrysincomeblog.com
What is the purpose of my website? Which target audience should my website be designed to reach? What kind of experience do I want visitors of my website to leave with? These are all questions that you should ask yourself when building a website for your company – it’s a process that merits a lot of thought and consideration and there isn’t much room for mistakes, especially the big ones. Speaking of big mistakes, here are some that you should avoid at all costs.
1. Where is the contact info?
Visitors to your website should be able to very easily access your contact information – don’t make it too complicated. The best idea is to include a ‘Contact Info’ page that is easily accessed, and that lists all of the ways that your business can be reached. Don’t play hard to get!
2. Go Mobile-Friendly or Go Home
hmtweb.com
If you haven’t caught on to it yet, here’s a little newsflash – if people can’t access it on their smartphones, chances are they won’t access it at all. This goes for basically everything on the Internet, so your company website is no different. Give your audience what they want – really strong opposable thumbs.
· 40% of people have gone to a competitor’s website after a poor mobile experience on another website
· 57% of people will not recommend a business with a badly designed mobile website
3. A Cloud of Clutter on Your Homepage
I know, there is so much information that you want to share, but it isn’t necessary to shove all of that information down your homepage’s or your viewer’s throat. Provide your viewers with a clean and sleek homepage to visit and your genius website design will allow them to take the reins from there. The right homepage design will leave your viewers wanting more – trust us.
4. Outdated Information
business2community.com
Listen, no one cares about your event calendar from 2012 or your blog that hasn’t seen any action since your old Verizon Blackberry. People want to see the latest and greatest of your business’s information and news – a neglected website will not leave a good lasting impression.
5. Weak SEO
SEO is what drives people to your website, so it is imperative to develop a strategy that will strengthen its muscles. What good is a genius website design if your mom is only one who is seeing it? How do you strengthen your website’s SEO muscles?
· Long-tail, question-based keywords are the new thing
· Post quality blog content on a regular basis (using above mentioned keywords)
· Foster social media connections – connect with your audience on a personal level
6. Errors and Bad Grammar
makeameme.org
I can’t even think about it without cringing. I was going to provide you with some ‘good examples of bad grammar’ on websites, but the research would be far too painful. Typos, errors, bad grammar – whatever you want to call them, these mistakes can be fatal for both your website and your company.
7. The ‘Winging it’ or DIY Route
Sure, if you have a lot of experience with web design – go for it! However, if you are lacking in web design experience, chances are your website will be lacking in professional quality if you go the DIY route. In order to maximize the benefits that your website can bring to your company, hire a professional and get the bang for your buck.
8. Skipping the Analytics
Let’s be honest – we all know that you are dying to know who is stalking your Facebook page and how many views your last hilarious status update got. This is a no judgement zone. Well, Google Analytics makes this possible for your company website. Ok, so it can’t tell you who is visiting your website, but it can tell you basically everything else!
techgeck.com
· Geographic location of visitors
· Where traffic is being referred from
· Click analytics
· And so much more!
9. There is a Special Place, not in Heaven, for Pop-up Windows
I feel like I would be doing the Internet world a major disservice to not include this in my list. Pop-up windows are like the equivalent of a squirrel darting out into the road on your early morning commute to work – startling, completely unnecessary (couldn’t the little guy have waited 2 more seconds for you to pass?), and inciting cuss words that you will later feel guilty about.
10. Sound Check
Pleasant music on your website? We love it. A video that tells your brand’s story? Excellent idea. However, anything too overpowering immediately upon the page load can have your visitors scurrying away nervously as if their boss is about to catch them chatting online with hot babes.
Do you have questions regarding building a company website? Reach out to us at The Storyteller Agency. Call us at 850.267.0931 or send us an email to info@storytelleragency.com. Whether you are wanting to build a new website or update your existing one, we can help! A company website is an excellent tool for brand storytelling.