10. You Hired Your Neighbor's Son
So you heard that he has created a site or two, besides he knows how to use your audio system. Thinking of the money you could save, you decide to give him a chance. If you have fallen into this trap you've with little doubt found out what the popular adage means to "get what you paid for". Not only do you now have a website that is no benefit for you, but you have lost out on the benefits of well designed and marketed website could have done for you.
9. You Outsourced Your Work to a Near-Third-World-Country
Hiring outside of the country is often difficult and disappointing. If you caved into the idea of hiring a professional for less outside of the country you've probably found like many of my colleagues and myself included that the hassle and work you received isn't even worth it being done for free. Save yourself the stress, and hire a competent firm close to home.
8. You Used Hosting Software to Easily Build Your Own Website.
Imagine finding out that someone decided to compete directly with your business. After a little bit of research you find that this competitor has no experience in your industry, has no relevant education and plans on putting little money and time in competing with your business. While you've received a related degree in your field, you've had years of experience doing what you do best and you have even excelled at it. Of course you have little reason to feel threatened by this newly learned competition. If you've decided build a website yourself and haven't succeeded online and haven't figured out why, bluntly speaking, look at your competition. When seasoned web designers and marketers are working on your competition's web presence, there is a reason why your losing valuable clients to them.
7. Your Website Looks Like it was Made in the 80's or 90's (or it was)
If your website looks junky, how do you think your visitors think about your products, services or business. Invest in your business image, or you'll see that you'll fail fast.
6. You Have an Intro Page
There are many reasons why people choose to have a splash page and none have been effective thus far in doing so. Splash pages and intro animations end up just becoming an annoyance to your visitors, especially if they come to your website more than once.
5. You Only Have One Page.
Usually in this case you have a website because you were told you needed a website. Not only is this tactic looked down upon by your users, but search engines as well. Create something of value for your visitors, design a strategy to get them to build your revenue. A one page site says, "I only did this because I had to." If you only have one page, your site is a failure.
4. Your Site Has No Appeal
If your site can't create interest in your product or services, your website will lose to the competition. Focus your attention on benefits, not features. Create page titles that make your audience want to learn more. Show how the application of your product or service will change your audiences' lives in some positive way. Design some sort of mystery that needs investigating on your site. Build your customers interest or fail.
3. You thought a Web Designer Was Enough.
It doesn't matter how influential, beautiful or amazing your web design or development are if you have no way of getting people to your website. When budgeting out your website, make sure to appropriate sufficient funds to attract an audience to it. It is suggested that you budget enough to build your website, and hire a Internet Market to get targeted traffic to your site. You need both to succeed.
2. Your Website is Too Broad
You can have traffic to your website, and your design might be appealing to your visitors but if you show no uniqueness or advantage over your competitors your losing more business than you should. Although Branding is often misunderstood, it is a crucial part of defining a unique business image and which should be portrayed through your site. Show a competitive advantage through your website design, style and content and you'll retain more customers and take a few from your competitors as well.
1. Your Website Doesn't Influence Your Visitors to a Profitable Action.
Sometimes people get so caught up in making a website that they forget the whole reason why they made it in the first place. If you didn't make your website obvious and easy for your visitors to make profitable actions, you've made it that much harder for your website to succeed. Before any design and development, you must first make a plan of how and what your website needs so your website is productive and successful. When your visitors come to your site, it should be designed in such a way that promotes your visitors to specific and measurable action. Every aspect of your site should be helping to accomplish your predetermined objectives, because without keeping this end goal in mind your visitors won't fulfill those desired objectives.
So you heard that he has created a site or two, besides he knows how to use your audio system. Thinking of the money you could save, you decide to give him a chance. If you have fallen into this trap you've with little doubt found out what the popular adage means to "get what you paid for". Not only do you now have a website that is no benefit for you, but you have lost out on the benefits of well designed and marketed website could have done for you.
9. You Outsourced Your Work to a Near-Third-World-Country
Hiring outside of the country is often difficult and disappointing. If you caved into the idea of hiring a professional for less outside of the country you've probably found like many of my colleagues and myself included that the hassle and work you received isn't even worth it being done for free. Save yourself the stress, and hire a competent firm close to home.
8. You Used Hosting Software to Easily Build Your Own Website.
Imagine finding out that someone decided to compete directly with your business. After a little bit of research you find that this competitor has no experience in your industry, has no relevant education and plans on putting little money and time in competing with your business. While you've received a related degree in your field, you've had years of experience doing what you do best and you have even excelled at it. Of course you have little reason to feel threatened by this newly learned competition. If you've decided build a website yourself and haven't succeeded online and haven't figured out why, bluntly speaking, look at your competition. When seasoned web designers and marketers are working on your competition's web presence, there is a reason why your losing valuable clients to them.
7. Your Website Looks Like it was Made in the 80's or 90's (or it was)
If your website looks junky, how do you think your visitors think about your products, services or business. Invest in your business image, or you'll see that you'll fail fast.
6. You Have an Intro Page
There are many reasons why people choose to have a splash page and none have been effective thus far in doing so. Splash pages and intro animations end up just becoming an annoyance to your visitors, especially if they come to your website more than once.
5. You Only Have One Page.
Usually in this case you have a website because you were told you needed a website. Not only is this tactic looked down upon by your users, but search engines as well. Create something of value for your visitors, design a strategy to get them to build your revenue. A one page site says, "I only did this because I had to." If you only have one page, your site is a failure.
4. Your Site Has No Appeal
If your site can't create interest in your product or services, your website will lose to the competition. Focus your attention on benefits, not features. Create page titles that make your audience want to learn more. Show how the application of your product or service will change your audiences' lives in some positive way. Design some sort of mystery that needs investigating on your site. Build your customers interest or fail.
3. You thought a Web Designer Was Enough.
It doesn't matter how influential, beautiful or amazing your web design or development are if you have no way of getting people to your website. When budgeting out your website, make sure to appropriate sufficient funds to attract an audience to it. It is suggested that you budget enough to build your website, and hire a Internet Market to get targeted traffic to your site. You need both to succeed.
2. Your Website is Too Broad
You can have traffic to your website, and your design might be appealing to your visitors but if you show no uniqueness or advantage over your competitors your losing more business than you should. Although Branding is often misunderstood, it is a crucial part of defining a unique business image and which should be portrayed through your site. Show a competitive advantage through your website design, style and content and you'll retain more customers and take a few from your competitors as well.
1. Your Website Doesn't Influence Your Visitors to a Profitable Action.
Sometimes people get so caught up in making a website that they forget the whole reason why they made it in the first place. If you didn't make your website obvious and easy for your visitors to make profitable actions, you've made it that much harder for your website to succeed. Before any design and development, you must first make a plan of how and what your website needs so your website is productive and successful. When your visitors come to your site, it should be designed in such a way that promotes your visitors to specific and measurable action. Every aspect of your site should be helping to accomplish your predetermined objectives, because without keeping this end goal in mind your visitors won't fulfill those desired objectives.
About the Author:
Writer, Speaker and Expert Web Designer and Internet Marketer, Matthew Henage, is a leading expert in creating profitable websites. Henage is the CEO of Utah website design firm, Superior Design Inc., a premier website design company in Utah.
