When it comes to websites, it's easy to say, "good enough," about design and functionality. After all, if something isn't broke, per say, why fix it? But, becoming complacent with your business site is a dangerous mindset. If you're not continuously improving your pages and appropriately updating as trends change, you could be driving customers away in droves. Here are ten common mistakes that make the leads on your site cringe.
First impressions are powerful. If the first impression your website gives is that it hasn't been updated since the infancy of the internet, you're in trouble. An outdated site will cause new visitors to assume your business is on the way out. Always hire a professional team to help you design your website with inbound best practices in mind.
People are spending more time on their mobile devices than ever before to search for products and consume content. If your site fails to be responsive on devices other than a computer, then you're driving potential customers away. Make sure your site is responsive across all devices so you're not alienating any potential customers.
Don't give your website users too many options in the main navigation. Consider what needs to be promoted and what can be an inside page. Too many options not only looks sloppy, but it's confusing to new site visitors. If your prospects can't easily find what they need, then they are going to search elsewhere for it.
It's embarrassing to say, but if you're messing up, "your" and "you're" on your website or there, their, and they're you are seriously upsetting people. Poor grammar is a problem, and there are countless memes out there to prove it. Do yourself a favor, develop an arduous Q&A process, or use a tool like Grammarly.
Your target persona may not land on your page specifically looking for a call-to-action, since they don't know marketing jargon, but they will be looking for where they should go next. Don't leave your leads guessing, help guide them through your website with smart and topical CTA's.
Nobody likes opening a window and being blasted with music or an interruptive video advertisement. Not only does it usually scare people, but in an open office, it can make for an embarrassing situation. Just give people high-quality content and leave shock value tactics like these on the shelf.
Have you ever landed on a website and thought, "What is this site even about?" If your homepage doesn't hook the stranger landing on your page or doesn't clearly let them know that you can help them, they are going to navigate to another website that can answer their questions. Remember, most of the people who find your site are in the awareness stage of the buyer's journey, so keep the copy higher in the sales funnel.
If your website has so many pop-ups scrolling around that your leads can't read your copy, that is a huge turn off to modern web-users. CTA's are great, but annoying and spammy links will drive traffic right to your competitors.
If your leads can see that you're not active on social media and that your site doesn't link to these channels, they will make the assumption that you're behind on the times. Social media is a staple for modern businesses and actively opting out is disastrous to your online image. Customers expect businesses to be on social media as it's a sign of a reputable company with nothing to hide.
Consumers search online to help answer their questions and make a buying decision. If your website lacks a blog, content offers, product demos, client testimonials, etc. you can kiss those customers goodbye. Transparency and being helpful are crucial to gain a lead's trust and eventually their business. If your site only promotes your company and doesn't have content to educate your buyers, then they will move to an organization that is more dedicated to solving their problems.
There you have it, ten huge factors that could be driving customers away from your business website. Ready to take the next step? Try our free website grader for an in-depth look at how your website is performing.