10. You Hired Your Neighbor's Son
You know he is not a professional but you know you can save a buck by using him. After paying him next to nothing, you find that the website he created hurts more than it helps. You find yourself taking your URL off your stationary and business cards and not mentioning your website to your clients. You've lost more than a couple hundred dollars you spent on it, you've lost the potential of successful website until you have it redone.
9. You Hired out Your Web development outside of the United States
Another tempting alternative to what might seem to be costly work inside the country. There are two reasons why this alternative is very risky and painful for you and your business. First, communication problems, you either will have a hard time understanding or being understood by your the firm or freelancer you hired and most likely will not be able to find a civil time to be able to communicate over the phone. And second, you'll find like so many have already, that you'll be promised everything and receive a small portion of what you expected.
8. You Downloaded a Web Template and Tried to do it Yourself.
How hard can building a website be? The honest answer, not very hard at all. HTML is one of the easiest things to learn. You can find tutorials or a class that can get you started in building a website within hours. Templates make it even easier. Just about anyone can create a website, but being able to build a website that brings success takes a lot of experience and a lot of talent. If you've decided to try it out as a hobby, go for it, I personally find very few things more enjoyable than crafting new designs and programming new systems. But if you want a website that gets results, turn it over to the professionals.
7. Your Website is Outdated
If you don't take your business seriously, how can you expect your clients to do the same. Your visitors are looking for the latest and greatest products or services. In short, get with it, or fail.
6. You Created a Splash 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 Can Count the Number of Pages on Your Site with One Finger.
Limiting the content on your site is a very ignorant maneuver. There are so many opportunities your website can take advantage of, but without content virtually none of it is possible. Content is king, build it and they will come.
4. Your Site Catches No Interest
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 Only Hired a Web Designer/Developer.
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. You Site is Not Based On Achieving Your Website Objectives.
If you didn't plan out the primary and secondary objectives of your website, then your website is probably spinning your visitors in circles. Give your website an objective, and every aspect of it should be in accomplishing it. If your trying to sell a product make it appealing and easy for them to do so, if you want them to call you on the phone do the same. Too often a website is about a company and loses its potential influence it can have to make your company more money. If you aren't getting what you need from your visitors, your website has failed. - 15478
You know he is not a professional but you know you can save a buck by using him. After paying him next to nothing, you find that the website he created hurts more than it helps. You find yourself taking your URL off your stationary and business cards and not mentioning your website to your clients. You've lost more than a couple hundred dollars you spent on it, you've lost the potential of successful website until you have it redone.
9. You Hired out Your Web development outside of the United States
Another tempting alternative to what might seem to be costly work inside the country. There are two reasons why this alternative is very risky and painful for you and your business. First, communication problems, you either will have a hard time understanding or being understood by your the firm or freelancer you hired and most likely will not be able to find a civil time to be able to communicate over the phone. And second, you'll find like so many have already, that you'll be promised everything and receive a small portion of what you expected.
8. You Downloaded a Web Template and Tried to do it Yourself.
How hard can building a website be? The honest answer, not very hard at all. HTML is one of the easiest things to learn. You can find tutorials or a class that can get you started in building a website within hours. Templates make it even easier. Just about anyone can create a website, but being able to build a website that brings success takes a lot of experience and a lot of talent. If you've decided to try it out as a hobby, go for it, I personally find very few things more enjoyable than crafting new designs and programming new systems. But if you want a website that gets results, turn it over to the professionals.
7. Your Website is Outdated
If you don't take your business seriously, how can you expect your clients to do the same. Your visitors are looking for the latest and greatest products or services. In short, get with it, or fail.
6. You Created a Splash 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 Can Count the Number of Pages on Your Site with One Finger.
Limiting the content on your site is a very ignorant maneuver. There are so many opportunities your website can take advantage of, but without content virtually none of it is possible. Content is king, build it and they will come.
4. Your Site Catches No Interest
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 Only Hired a Web Designer/Developer.
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. You Site is Not Based On Achieving Your Website Objectives.
If you didn't plan out the primary and secondary objectives of your website, then your website is probably spinning your visitors in circles. Give your website an objective, and every aspect of it should be in accomplishing it. If your trying to sell a product make it appealing and easy for them to do so, if you want them to call you on the phone do the same. Too often a website is about a company and loses its potential influence it can have to make your company more money. If you aren't getting what you need from your visitors, your website has failed. - 15478
About the Author:
Author, Speaker and Expert Website Designer and Marketer, Matthew Henage, is a leading expert in creating profitable websites. Henage is the CEO of Utah website design firm, Superior Design Inc., a leading website design firm in Utah.
