8 key areas to avoid when you are (re)launching a website for your small business
Having an online presence is key for small businesses and social media is often not sufficient. A website will allow potential customers to find you and it will go a long way when it comes to building your credibility, making a good website an efficient marketing tool. But a bad website can also harm your business.
Here are 8 key areas to avoid if you want your website to actually work for you and your customers.
1. Building a website from scratch
Unless you have very specific requirements, it’s unlikely you’ll need a website built from scratch. Pre-built website templates like Wordpress, SquareSpace or Wix keep the cost low while looking professional and having a user-friendly back end. They also have handy built-in features like Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), making your website more likely to come up in search results.
2. Making it all about you
A common mistake for small businesses is to create a website that is all about them and is built for people like them. Remember that your website is for your audience. When you’re deciding on the content, think like your ideal customers and focus on engaging them. You might be tempted to include a very long page about the history of your company, but will your ideal customer really want to read about this?
3. Confusing your ideal customers
Your key message needs to be crystal clear because no one wants to spend more than 30 seconds figuring out what you’re selling and what’s in it for them. Focus on the problem you’re solving for your customers. Remember to keep your key message short and simple or it won’t stick in people’s mind and they’ll forget about your brand quickly.
4. Forgetting to map out how you want people to move around your site
When your ideal customer lands on your website, what journey do you want them to take? Which pages do you want them to visit next? And how are you going to prompt them to do that? If your ultimate goal is to get them to send an enquiry, you need to figure out how you’ll lead them to that page by mapping their journey around your website.
5. Not telling people clearly what you want them to do
You need clear calls to action so people know what to do. Call to actions aren’t always “buy now” or “get in touch”. They can be a prompt to read another blog article or visit another page. You want to keep people on your site for as long as possible so they get to know your brand and engage with your call to actions when they have made their decision to enquire or buy.
6. Forgetting to link your social media channel or linking to outdated profiles
If people land on your website after a Google search, they might want to check your social media to get a better idea of who you are as a brand. If you’re active on social media but forget to link your channels, you’re missing out on an opportunity for another point of contact with your potential customers. Make sure you only list the social media profiles that you keep up to date though.
7. Not creating a resource plan for keeping the website updated
It’s easy to forgo planning for what’s coming after the big launch (or relaunch). If you have a news or blog section, who’s going to write the items and upload them? Will they need training? How often will they update the website? An outdated website will do your brand a disservice. Remember, a busy managing director or business development manager has other priorities and the website won’t always be at the top of their list.
8. Checking for results
Many small businesses don’t check their analytics and don’t know if their website is working efficiently for their business. Your analytics will tell you how many people have visited your website and where they came from (social media, search engine, another website…). You’ll also be able to see most visited pages, how long people spend on them and what they click on. This will give you a clear idea of what is resonating with your customers.
If you’re thinking of launching or relaunching a website for your small business or start-up, you don’t have to do it alone. I have helped lots companies like yours plan websites that are efficient marketing tools, showcase their offering and generate sales leads. Get in touch to find out how I can help you.