Top 10 Most Common Small Business Website Mistakes

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I think you?re highly likely to agree with me that one of the first ways the majority of your clients find you is somewhere online.

Either by searching, a link on another site, a video or maybe a listing in a directory or perhaps you are?successful?enough to have developed a brand that people are directly seeking out. Either way, people are going online in a number of different ways to find you.

We are What We do!

Of course people use their desktop and laptops but according to Google, mobile searches quadrupled in 2011

Did you read that?

Mobile searches QUADRUPLED and that was in 2011!!!!

This is something you need to be looking at if you are not already!

As a Business Owners you need to make sure that your website and online presence represents your business in the best possible way. Your website is an extension of you and your business and as I say, ?is normally the first contact prospects have with you.

Therefore its vital to get it right.

This post highlights the 10 most common mistakes I have seen on a regular basis?

1. Not having a website at all!

Well lets start with the cardinal sin of not having a website at all! Obviously social media is still a bit scary for some business owners so of course we forgive those who haven?t (yet) got a social networking presence but not having a website in this day and age is just plain stupid!

Most people who have access to the Internet will use it to search for products and services more than flipping through a directory book.

2. Having an old fashioned, 80?s style website

Some things come back into fashion such as hairstyles and clothes but it?s stating the obvious to say that websites simply don?t! Now if your prospects are judging you and your business by the content and information you put online, it?s obvious that you want this to represent you in the best possible light!

In fact I would be as bold to say you could present an incredible online image when the reality is you work from your shed? albeit delivering great products and services but you can easily create that type of image. It?s clearly not a good strategy for that to work in reverse! A lot of people judge a business by their website. If your website looks out of date then maybe your service is as well?

3. Poor navigation
Does your website requires someone with a PHD in web design or perhaps an awful lot of patience, as well as a lot of free time to find out what they want on your site? If so, then I?m afraid to say it?s bad news and give up the game right now or make some drastic changes! On average a person gives up on a poorly designed site in a matter of seconds. There are just too many options out there to waste time.

4. Animation, Flash and Huge background Pics
As it?s clear more and more people use their smart phones to search, the last thing you want to do is ask them to suck up their entire monthly data bill to view your home page! This will not endear you to people who are trying to become your customers!

People want the information straightaway and want fast loading and clear information to what you can do for them.

5. Video and Music
I love both video and music?. but not on a website that the minute you click onto it, a video starts or some rubbish background music starts playing. This is a big time mistake as it just annoys people! Don?t!
6. Overuse of different colors and fonts
Your site should not be an electronic version of a Christmas tree. Stick to a maximum of 3-4 fonts and colors. Clean, simple and efficient ? look at Google.com

7. Don?t get ripped off by web developers
We all like good deals and we all like value for money. The amount of people I talk to who have paid through the nose for their website is incredible. People think they need a new website for their business, so they go to their local web design agency who probably knows little if anything about marketing ? to be frank, at risk of upsetting lots of web designers, lots are good technically, but terrible about marketing! They then get charged ?3 or ?4k for a brochure style website that does very little for them. 3 or 4 years then pass and then they go through the whole process again!

So let?s get it done right the first time so you have a website that evolves, develops and changes as you and your business does.

8. Trying to be too clever with your design

Websites which leave people wondering what the hell its about will not win you any customers. Make sure your site is easy to understand and provides the information your visitors want ? fast. Leave the confusing designs and ?metaphors? to design people who like to impress each other.

9. Making it too hard for people to find out how to contact you
Believe it or not, this is still a common mistake! Yup, even today, businesses are making it really hard for you to contact them.

What is that all about?! Of course the most common top requirement for most business websites is to get your customer to make contact with you in one way or another? so make it easy for them!

10. Don?t just have one site
What I hear you say?! Well you are probably away that I own online business cards website PrintRepublic but I don?t just rely on that site to do ALL my hard graft!

I have a number of other sites out there and I am continually building and developing more all the time!

Why? Simple, one net will only catch a certain amount of fish. Cast other nets and you catch a wide variety of different types of fish and you increase your catch!

Check out this ?Business Card Printing website

So if you want help building sites like this for your business?. Please feel free to get in touch?

Call us on 0845 862 5550 or email hello [at] printrepublic [dot] co [dot] uk to book a free telephone consultation!

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Source: http://www.printrepublicblog.com/top-10-most-common-small-business-website-mistakes/

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