Website Design Mistakes

Six Website Design Sins

Today, we examine six deadly sins that are often committed on small business websites.

Read through my list and then please take the poll. Let’s see what the SEO-Reading public thinks about these sins and what they see committed the most often.

1. The “Just Another Pretty Face” Website

This website is all form and no function and doesn’t deliver value. It may be light on content. A graphic designer is an important part of any website design but a business needs to pay the bills and this means up-front marketing research, a search engine friendly design and delightful and deep content that has been optimized for search.

In the world of content marketing, pretty is not going to pay the bills.

2. The “I Paid the Kid Down the Street” Website

This would be the opposite of the “Pretty Face” website. This site screams homemade; it’s sloppy and amateurish and gives visitors a negative first impression. The links are not set up well and the copy not well written. It represents the business as a shoddy, unprofessional company.

3. The Static Website “Brochure”

Here’s another significant mistake that small business owners make with their websites. Many business owners create the typical “5-page” website, but then do very little else after the launch of the website.

As a result, the site is a boring static brochure that doesn’t compel visitors to return.

A modern website needs to educate and entertain. It needs to provide delightful content and deep content and fresh content to help it position in search and to keep visitors coming back for more.

4. The “Disorganized” Website

If you make your visitors work too hard to find things then many won’t find what you want them to find. Make your website easy to use. No one wants to waste time trying to figure out your site.

5. The “I Don’t Care About SEO” Website

SEO doesn’t have to be a troublesome undertaking and it is certainly not something that gets “slapped on” at the end. Many website owners do not take the SEO aspect of their site seriously. If your website isn’t search engine friendly, then you may be losing many good business opportunities.

Take the time to learn about keyword research, titles tags, meta-description tags, back-links and on and off-page optimization. It will be well worth your time and effort.

6. The “No Conversion” Website

A website that does not convert is a total waste.

Your website needs to educate, inspire and motivate your visitors; it should convert your visitors into interested sales leads and eventually convert your leads into customers.