Your business’s website can be one of your most effective tools. However, if it’s not done properly it could cause a threat to your brand and even profits.
Nowadays, anyone can build a website, the tools are accessible to almost anyone, but building a good one is the difficult part.
I’ve come up with 5 common mistakes that could be negatively affecting your website’s conversions and rankings. If your website features any of the following, you should try to eliminate the problem as soon as possible.
1. Weak SEO
Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for obtaining high rankings in search engines. You also can’t reach the top spot overnight.
Although keywords aren’t as important to your ranking as they used to be, these still shouldn’t be overlooked. When it comes to good SEO, every little helps.
You can however, improve your use of keywords within your Meta Data by taking a more natural language approach and focusing on long-tail keywords.
It is not only easier to rank for longer keyword phrases than short ones, but it will also attract more relevant leads, resulting in a higher rate of conversions.
For example, instead of “dog groomer” you could try more specific keywords like “dog groomer for anxious dogs” or “dog groomer walk in appointments”, depending on the services you provide.
Moz provides a helpful beginner’s guide to SEO.
2. Clash of the Fonts
Website layout and design are crucial in this visually orientated space. Make sure you have a set of guidelines, and use the same fonts for all headings/subheadings etc. Try and stick to one “font family” if possible.
The “less is more” approach also applies to the colour palette you decide on. Make sure the same colour palette is used site-wide, and that the colours compliment each other.
You want the focus of your website to be your products, content, and services. Don’t let clashing colours or fonts distract from this.
3. Hard to Find Contact Details
This seems fairly obvious, but can often be overlooked.
Your contact details need to be clear and easy to find on your website. Whether they are on the top banner of your homepage, or sit within a dedicated contact us page, make sure they are available within a click or two.
On top of this, be sure to update all contact information if there are changes of names/ locations/ phone numbers. It’s already easy enough to lose a customer forever, without sending them to an incorrect location or having them call a dead phone-line.
4. Lack of Responsivity
In 2018, 58% of site visits were made from mobile devices, and 42% of total time spent online was via a mobile phone. If this isn’t reason enough to make sure that your website looks good on a mobile as well as a desktop, I don’t know what is.
Being mobile friendly is more important than ever. This means you should prioritise the design of both your desktop and mobile sites equally.
Although of equal importance, some do suggest designing your mobile site before your desktop. This is because it can be easier to take content from a mobile UI to the desktop, where you have more space to leverage, than from a desktop UI to a smartphone.
5. No Clear Call To Action
Make sure your visitors are focused on what to do next. A CTA (Call To Action) usually comes in the form of a prompt, attached to a link or button, such as:
- Add to Cart
- Sign up Now
- Contact us Today
Without the use of clear CTAs your audience could get lost on your site. For example, if a reader lands on your blog and there is no CTA at the end of the post, they may leave the site without completing any tasks.
Remember: A single, clear CTA can be much more effective than multiple CTAs fighting for the attention of your audience.
The best way to think of your website is as if it were a retail location (read a full analogy here); you should ensure that your customer can find it as easily as possible, and that when they walk in the door they are greeted amiably and guided towards what they need.
Are you concerned that your website may be suffering from one of these mistakes? Sign up today for a free digital review to see how we can help.
