The web is an ever-changing landscape for marketing and presenting your company’s message. I’ve seen my share of missteps and learned big mistakes to avoid when designing a website. Here are the big Eight:
1. Not making your site search engine optimized. More than ever, clients are searching for your products and services via the web. You won’t be found if your site is not optimized. Content should be loaded with keywords, page titles should be specific and unique, text as artwork should be minimized, and meta tags should be in place.
Website optimization techniques should be taken into account as the site is created, not as an afterthought. Of course, the search engines change their criteria of what to look for every day, so your site may need a re-design after a few years anyway…which leads me to my second point…
2. Spending too much money up front. Yes, many clients need high end websites with lots of special features and a content management…but….
Don’t spend more than you need to. You want a top-notch website that will solve all of your needs, set you apart from the competitors, and work well for 20 years. 5 years from now you will have a dated website that is missing key new features. You don’t want to have blown your budget so that you can’t redesign the site and keep up with the times. “I’ve spent 100 grand on this site, why should I redesign it?”
3. Not leaving room to expand. The business world is always changing and your business and website need to change with it. I’ve seen sites where everything just about fits perfectly and every inch of real estate on the page is filled…But you need to add a news section or a link to your blog. There goes the perfect layout. You want a site with room to grow so that additions won’t look tacked on.
4. Following a lame trend. Do you remember when every site had a flash into? You had to wait for a “cool” animation to play or “click here to enter the site.” Music, flash websites (when not necessary), spinning logos…Give me a break. Have fun paying for a redesign a year later when everyone is sick of the intro.
Music could be a point on its own. I’ll run iTunes if I want music. Do you want everyone in the office to hear where you are surfing?
5. Too much text on one page. Yes, content will get you traffic, but don’t go crazy, especially on your home page. Visitors don’t want to scroll a ton to read your page.
If you have pages of content on one page, maybe you should organize the information in sub-sections. Instead of listing all of your employees in a long list of bios, have a list of names linked to sub-pages. The visitors will appreciate the easy navigation. Hey, that’s my next point…
6. Bad navigation. Navigation is the key to a great website. Your visitors want to easily find the information they are looking for. Period.
Too many buttons is bad. Sure everything is a click away, but I have 100 choices to click. Your visitor will be lost, and I’m sure with a little thought, buttons fit into categories.
Too few buttons can be an issue as well. You don’t want your visitor to have to click and search for the sections they need.
It’s all about site architecture and envisioning your site from the visitor’s perspective. Generally, they will be on your site for specific reasons. Give them the information and solutions they are looking for.
7. Contact information not easy to find. Put your phone number, address, and an email address on every page. Have a “contact us” section. I’m not a big fan of a contact form since I would rather send an email than fill out a form. I know you’ve been frustrated at some time trying to find a phone number on a website. Don’t do that to your customers.
Generally, you want business. Generally, you want the phone to ring. Put your contact information on your website.
8. Your site won’t print. Your site may look great on screen, but many people don’t want to read off a screen. Consider what the printout will look like. You can build styles sheet just for printing in the code.
Also, see what your site will print like with different browsers. Maybe this doesn’t seem like the biggest issue, but imagine a scenario where a potential client wants to research and compare companies like yours. They will typically print out the research and look at them later. Again, don’t make it hard for the visitor and always look at the experience of visiting your site from their point of view.
