Online search is becoming more prevalent with each passing year, and because of that businesses have been forced into the online space. A high functioning website is imperative because customers will use your website as the first point of contact, and a good experience could create a long lasting relationship with your target market. Here are some common website failures that could affect your business’s ability to convert online.
Unintuitive Site Structure
When a customer clicks into your site they’re searching for something that they need, whether its a product, service, or information. If they aren’t able to easily find it they’ll back out of your site and you will have lost a potential conversion. The structure of your site needs to be easy to understand, and have an intuitive flow from one page to the next.
Not Optimized for Mobile
Mobile search is getting better every year with the development of smartphones, and consumers are using mobile search engines to find products and services that they need on the fly. If your website is not dynamic and ready for mobile users your conversion will suffer, especially considering that many times mobile search is carried out in a location close to your business and used to find a product or service that is needed sooner rather than later.
Slow Site Speed
The speed of your site is arguably the most important issue to fix, as the majority of customers will back out of your site if it doesn’t load within 2-4 seconds. Not only that, but it is a factor in your site ranking within search engines. The most important ways to make sure you have good site speed and keep good site speed are:
- Web Hosting Service – If you are paying for a lesser web hosting service it can negatively impact your page speed. You get what you pay for, and we recommend paying for the premium hosting service.
- Image Optimization – Using an image optimizer can ensure that your photos are not too large and holding your page speed back.
- Page Speed Report – Using a page speed reporting tool is essential to catch when your site is slowing down and will lead to you catching issues faster.
Missing Call to Action Buttons
Calls to action (CTA) are helpful to direct the customers to pages where they can fill out a contact form and/or find the products or services they are looking for. These are usually shown in the form of a button after a piece of content. Without CTA buttons, customers lose an easy outlet to what they need, and you may miss out on conversions or an opportunity to remarket to a potential conversion.
Error Pages
An error page, or “404 error” is a large issue that many websites will deal with. A customer will click on a link and get an error message, generally an empty page, which may lead to them backing out of the site. Not only does it feel unprofessional, but can be hurtful to conversions. A good way to circumvent these issues is to link that error page to another more relevant page so that the customer will be taken to what they originally needed, and hopefully the more relevant page solves their need.
Messy Layout
Your website needs to be readable and intuitive for any potential customers who may find it. A cluttered and messy page layout can be overwhelming for people who visit your site, and looks unprofessional. Ensuring that your page layout looks good on your site can lead to customers spending more time on your site, and hopefully turning those visits into conversions.
Sloppy Design Structure
Sloppy design is a problem that should be avoided from the start of a website design and development project, but occasionally there are issues that are hard to pinpoint the first time. Maybe images cover up a button or a popup menu has a different font than another menu, but regardless of the specifics any sloppy site design can put off customers. The design reinforces your brand identity and really shows your customer that you care about the little things.
Social Media Link Buttons
The last important mistake to avoid is neglecting to add your social media links through buttons on your website. Many customers will want to follow your brand on social media because it can alert them to a host of different things, especially if the industry you are in is constantly being changed or updated in some way. This way, customers are able to give your social media following and associate your brand with more than just the need you serve. These simple buttons can grow your digital presence and reach through engaging consumers with your business more often.
Website mistakes and failures are a part of the business, and take expertise and time to master. Nova Advertising has years of experience dealing with website mistakes and fixing them for our clients, and we want to ensure that your website is great from the start. Our web design and development services are made stronger through our integrated online and digital marketing services. Contact us today for more information.