|
Expert Answers to Biz Questions Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.
5 Common Web Design Mistakes
Businesses should constantly rethink their online marketing strategy. This means that you should always be on the lookout for new social network trends, always find ways to make your blog more engaging, and constantly try to improve your website. The truth is that things that are wrong with the site are much more noticeable than all the good and useful features. That’s why “do no harm” should be the first priority of any web design professional.
First impressionsVisitors need very little time to decide whether they are going to stay on the site or not. Businesses often dedicate most of their time and energy to the products page or to telling a story of how the company came to be. All of this is important, but the home page should always be the main concern. First of all, it should be clearly identified with your brand and secondly, it should be easy to navigate and search through. This doesn’t mean that all websites should be minimalistic; just don’t throw too much at the visitor's face at once.
Call to actionThe importance of calls to action couldn’t be stressed enough. The visitors should always be aware of what the next step should be. Some like you to use clever captions for call to action buttons and that can be charming for frequent visitors. New customers, however, should be told what to do in clear and simple terms. For instance, never use “join us” when you can say “sign up”. Add to cart and buy now buttons don’t have alternatives. They should be always visible and they should do exactly what is written on them.
Slow loadingA lot of animation and complicated graphics may seem sophisticated and an easy way to show your company is cutting edge at everything it does, including building websites. However, most users just find it annoying and frustrating if the site doesn’t load right away. According to experts from Seattle web design agencies, functionality should be treated as part of the design. It’s best to think about the average users and the way they interact with the site. The website itself is just a tool used to get the product, services or the information they need. It shouldn’t be a distraction.
No contact infoCompanies usually view their website as a storefront window and don’t see the need to spend additional money on call centers and other customer services. This is a mistake, there’s always going to be people who want to actually call the business and make sure that everything is ok with their order. Keep the contact information visible at all times and make it easy for the customers to call. It shows that you care and that you’re willing to go the extra mile. Contact should include both text-based and call based means of communication.
No analyticsWebsites should do more than present your products to the visitors. It’s also a way for you to know more about your customers. Use analytics to find out everything you can about your customers. Age, gender, and income are just the beginning. Knowing their interest in movies, books or other products similar to yours could help make your marketing efforts more effective. Also, information about how visitors use the site will help you improve it greatly.
By avoiding these common mistakes you can focus on what’s really important – using the site to display what’s great about your business and keeping in touch with the clients and potential customers.
Small Business Tax Center • Idea Cafe Home • Sign Up • Biz Grant Center • CyberSchmooz •Coffee Talk with Experts • People in Biz Profiles • Starting Your Biz • Biz Planning • Running Your Biz • FREE Trade Publications • Marketing • Financing Your Biz • Human Resources • Legal & Biz Forms • Managing Your Biz • eCommerce • You and Your Biz • Gen X • Work@Home • The Fridge • De-Stress • Send an Award • Send an eGreeting • Yoga @ Your Desk • Web Guide • Idea Cafe in the News • About Idea Cafe • Advertise on Idea Cafe • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Site Map • Small Biz News
Copyright 1995-2024, Idea Cafe Inc. Downloads are for personal use only, not for resale to others, and may not be reprinted in any form without written permission from Idea Cafe Inc.
DISCLAIMER: We hope whatever you find on this site is helpful, but be cautioned that it may not apply to your own situation, or be totally current at any given time. Idea Cafe Inc. and all of its current and past experts, sponsors, advertisers, agents, contractors and advisors disclaim all warranties with regard to anything found anywhere on this family of websites, quoted from, or sent from Idea Cafe. and its related sites, publications and companies. We also take no responsibility for comments published by others on these pages. TRADEMARKS: The following are Registered Trademarks or Servicemarks of DevStart, Inc.: Idea Cafe®, Online Coffee Break®, The Small Business Gathering Place®, Take out Info®, Biz Bar & Grill®, Complaint-O-Meter®, A Fun Approach to Serious Business, CyberSchmooz, and BizCafe.
|
|