These common mistakes are easy to identify, once you know what to avoid!

Running your own small business doesn’t mean you automatically know how to design a great website! That’s why we enlist the fabulous website designers at Thrive Creative Group.

A website is a vital piece of marketing and branding for small businesses. Visitors search for and visit your website for specific reasons, and you want to ensure that you are providing the ideal place for them to successfully buy from, learn about, or contact your business.

Well made websites are an investment for any business and especially small businesses and local entrepreneurs. Don’t make common mistakes that can cost you the potential revenue that you could be making from a well designed, properly functioning website.

Here are some of the common website mistakes that small businesses make.

Don’t forget the research

Today’s culture of instant gratification can be great when it comes to people visiting your website. But don’t fall into the trap of getting something quickly over quality. Spend the time to research what you want your website to accomplish, and who your audience will be! If your business is focused toward an older demographic, you’ll want to consider larger font sizes. Will your customers be shopping primarily from their phones? Have you determined where you will send the focus, once your visitors get to your site? These are all easy questions, once you have researched and you know your market.

Flashy isn’t always best

You want your website to be easy to navigate and if flashy elements make it harder for people to find what they are looking for, then it’s not very easy. Remember that mobile phones account for a huge portion of any website audience. If a flashy feature doesn’t work on a phone, it’s not working for your small business!

Don’t skip a responsive design

A responsive website is designed to adapt to whatever device you use to view the site. That means you get the same website experience whether you are using your desktop computer, an iPad, or your phone. Websites that aren’t responsive are proven to show up lower in Google searches and provide a fractured experience to customers, most likely turning them away from your website.

Missing call to action

Once people have visited your site, what do you want them to do? Do you want them to buy your product, contact you, or subscribe to your business e-newsletter? Your content and layout should answer their question and help them know what to do next.

Missing content

Your website should contain the most up to date information about your products, services, and company. If this information is missing it reflects poorly on your business. Missing content can be seen as a reflection of your businesses knowledge or preparation to deal with your customers’ needs. Your content must address the needs of your customers, and potential customers, and be updated as information changes.

DIY can be distracting

It can be tempting to create a website on your own using a DIY template. This might work temporarily, or for a smaller project, but when you want your small business to appear professional it may not be the best choice. Unless you are an experienced web designer, you won’t be able to provide the features and user-friendly layout that your customers will need. Although these sites can function, they can give your business an amateurish appearance that you will definitely want to avoid!

If you are dealing with any of these unfortunate issues, don’t worry, Thrive Creative Group can help. If you are ready to start working with a team of experienced website designers and developers, give us a call at Thrive Creative Group right here in Clarksville, TN! If phone calls aren’t convenient, you can also contact us online. We would love to tell you more about our custom built WordPress websites, along with all of the other services we offer. We’re ready to help your small business thrive!

Source:
Forbes