You need to put your best foot forward on your website when you’re an online business because this is your storefront. It is the first thing people see that highlights your business. So you need to make a good first impression. Sloppy websites can cost you money.
You might be tempted to set your website up with one of those easy website set up programs. They offer templates and it seems great. You’ll be up and running in now time. The problem is you now have to take that code and rework it on your own to turn that cookie cutter website into your branded business.
What Costs You Sales?
You know those websites that as soon as you get on them you are looking for the exit button? Think about those sites for a minute. What about them did you not like? If those features annoyed you will also annoy any visitors you have on your website.
Here is a list of a few things that can cost sales by turning potential customers away from your website.
- Misspelled words in your articles
- Lots of blank white space
- Hard to read font
- Links that don’t work
- Poorly constructed site that is hard to navigate
- Cluttered pages
- No graphics
- Lack of continuity from page to page
- Lack of contrast between background and text
All of these things are easy to spot as soon as someone enters a website. Don’t let this be you. You only get one chance to make a first impression and you don’t want to blow it. Once you’ve turned your customers off they aren’t likely to come back for more.
Rectify the Situation
There are many simple mistakes that website owners can make that can lead to a loss of traffic and ultimately sales. Here are a few tips you can use to avoid these costly mistakes.
- Proofread all of your content and webpages– Spell check doesn’t catch everything. Go through your content line by line. After that, preview each page as it should appear on your website.If something is aligned incorrectly your content can be spread across the page in a jumbled incoherent mess. Always check your website headings, pictures, and tags. Be sure everything is just right before going live.
- Align your pages – Keep all of your pages aligned the same way so it’s more streamlined. If you align left content and ads will look flush and professional. Double space between paragraphs and keep paragraphs short for easier reading.
- Use appropriate contrast – The black background with hot pink text might seem really unique, but it will be hard to read and distract your readers. Think about keeping things pleasing to the eye so your readers don’t have to strain to read it.
- Take time to lay out your pages – Keep important links and information on the top of the page so they don’t get missed. Keep the same theme throughout your website so it has continuity and makes sense to your readers.
Your website is the home of your business. Sloppy layouts and grammatical errors will turn customers away instead of attract customers.
Are there technical or time-related roadblocks preventing you from having a great website to showcase your business? If so, let us assist you.