Starting a business website can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be a daunting task.
While there are many things to consider when starting a website, there are also many common mistakes that business owners make that can lead to a less successful website launch. This blog post will discuss some of the most common mistakes to avoid when starting a business website.
1. Not Having Clear Goals
When I was first starting to get into the web development industry and was putting together my first ever website, I went at it with absolutely zero goals. I don’t even remember thinking about goals, let alone writing them down.
Long story short, the website was done and it didn’t look how I wanted it to. It wasn’t performing how I expected it to either.
This led me redesigning my entire website a short few months later.
If I had set out goals at the very beginning, I would have saved time and money.
Before you start your website, it is important to consider: What do you want to achieve with your website? Are you looking to drive more sales, increase brand awareness, or provide information to customers?
Without clear goals, you may end up with a website that doesn’t serve your business needs – like I did.
2. Poor Website Design
A study by Adobe found that 38% of website visitors will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive.
Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. A poorly designed website can turn off visitors and leave them with a negative impression of your business. Make sure your website is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and reflects your brand.
3. Not Optimizing for Search Engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical part of any website’s success. According to a study by Moz, the top 5 organic search results get 67.6% of clicks, while the results “below the fold” (or below what you can see when you first click search) get very little attention.
Without proper SEO, your website may not rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to less traffic and fewer customers.
4. Not Being Mobile-Friendly
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical part of any website’s success. According to a study by Moz, the top 5 organic search results get 67.6% of clicks, while the results “below the fold” (or below what you can see when you first click search) get very little attention.
Without proper SEO, your website may not rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to less traffic and fewer customers.
5. Not Having Clear Calls-to-Action
Your website should have clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that guide visitors towards taking specific actions, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or contacting your business.
Without clear CTAs, visitors may leave your website without taking any action.
One SL Creative’s clients took this one step further by using only one call to action across their whole site! This is a great way to streamline where you want your visitors to end up.
6. Neglecting Website Security
Website security is essential to protect your business.
A lot of business owners bypass security because they believe that the chances of them being targeted are slim.
This is, scarily, just not true.
Neglecting website security can lead to hacking, data breaches, and loss of customer trust. Make sure your website is secure by using SSL encryption, updating software regularly, and implementing strong passwords for anyone who has access to the backend of your website.
7. Not Monitoring Analytics
I was never a big fan of Google Analytics (or other analytics tools for that matter) until I learned the hard way.
In the beginning of my web development career, I would release blog post after blog post with no real idea of how they were performing – I had a suspicion they weren’t doing well though, because I didn’t see any progress in my search results OR any new clients finding me through my blog.
I checked Google Analytics out of curiosity, and quickly realized that the people visiting my site were not interested in the topics that my blog posts were about.
I did some target audience research using Google Analytics and Google Keyword planner, and found out what kind of content my website visitors actually wanted to see. Now, I get better results by putting in less effort, since I know exactly what my audience is after. Without monitoring analytics, you may not be aware of what’s working and what’s not.
In conclusion, starting a business website can be a great way to increase your online presence and reach more customers. However, there are many common mistakes that can lead to a less successful website launch. By avoiding these mistakes and focusing on clear goals, website design, SEO, mobile optimization, clear CTAs, website security, and analytics, you can create a successful website that helps your business grow.
