Your website has the potential to be your best salesperson, but sadly too many sites are held back by the same issues. In this blog we’ll list our 10 biggest no-no’s for web design, so have a think as we go through the list which ones could apply to your site. We’ve outlined quick fixes to each of the ten problems, so you can get your site back on track asap! Let’s go:
Poor Experience:
Problem: If your website is slow to load, difficult to use on a mobile device, and / or has unintuitive navigation, potential customers will simply go elsewhere to one of your competitors who offers a better overall experience.
Solution: Web pages that are built to be responsive will adapt to different devices and platforms, meaning you can offer a consistent experience to everybody that uses your site. Free tools, such as ‘Google page speed insights' let you compare the speed of your site to that of your competitors. Page speed insights will give you handy hints as to how to speed it up if you're a little on the slow side. On navigation; you can interview some of your best clients and ask them how they feel about the user journey you currently offer and make changes based on the feedback.
Lack of Clarity:
Problem: Your site doesn’t clearly and concisely convey the value of your product / solution, and why it is better than what your competitors can offer.
Solution: Be very clear in describing the value proposition of your offering above the fold (that’s the top half of a webpage). Be sure to read the copy from the perspective of your buyers’ who may have no previous knowledge or experience of your brand and products’.
Lack of direct call-to-actions:
Problem: CTAs that aren’t compelling or clear enough to encourage a user to take a desired action.
Solution: Implement CTAs naturally so they flow with page content. You can test CTA messaging to see which performs best. ‘Book a Call’ is a great CTA as it leads naturally to the next step without fear of overcommitting.
Not demonstrating why you can be trusted:
Problem: Weak social proof and not enough reassurance from third parties.
Solution: Make sure customer testimonials and reviews feature prominently on your site. Don’t be shy in not sharing social media links as this is where the really juicy social proof is found.
Underinvesting in SEO and quality content:
Problem: If your website doesn't rank well for relevant keywords or if the content doesn't engage visitors, you'll miss out on potential conversions.
Solution: Conduct keyword research to understand what your target audience is searching for. Create valuable, informative content that addresses their needs and incorporates those keywords. Use on-page SEO best practices to improve your site's visibility in search engine results.
Ignoring bounce rate:
Problem: High bounce rates mean that users can’t find what they want on your site. This is obviously a very bad signal!
Solution: Assess which pages have the highest bounce rates and determine why that might be the case. Addressing the other 9 points here will go a long way to improving overall bounce rate.
Not being personal enough:
Problem: Adding poor quality content that is not targeted at your ideal customer. Not answering common problems and not explaining how you can fix them.
Solution: Write content for your customers (not yourself!). They don’t want to read about how amazing you and your brand are.
Unclear path to purchase:
Problem: Unintuitive checkout process, unclear messaging about how to take the next step.
Solution: Remove barriers to checkout and have minimal form fields to complete. Introduce a one-click button to contact throughout the site.
Disregarding retargeting:
Problem: Visitors are allowed to leave your site without prompting to stay through re-engagement.
Solution: Introduce retargeting processes such as pop-ups and email marketing that redirect leavers!
Ignoring the data:
Problem: Not using data to inform decisions and design.
Solution: Analytics tools will help you to find out what’s working (and what isn’t working). Use the data to inform strategies going forward.
With these ten steps addressed, your site should be well on its way to becoming your best performing sales asset. Get in touch with Web Choice if you need any further help or advice on anything we’ve covered in this blog!
