Five Reasons Websites Fail

When you look at the traffic statistics of too many business websites, it’s easy to see that the site is not working. There may be lots of visitors, but if very few of them take action to become paying customers or clients of the business, the site has failed. In many cases, visitors land on the site’s home page and never go anywhere else. They just click the Back button on their browser and look elsewhere. Here are some of the reasons this happens:

1. Slow-Loading or Annoying Website Elements
   Some website designers think that a flashy home page is the key to good design. They couldn’t be more wrong. A slow-loading Flash animation or any other element that delays a visitor from seeing your initial message is a sure way to lose the visitor. Even worse, some websites make you watch a video before you can even get to the home page. While these elements may look nice, they’re website killers. Music that suddenly starts playing will also send visitors away instantly. Maybe they’re listening to their own music, or browsing your site secretly while at work. Cute little animations that follow the visitor’s cursor arrow are also annoying to most people. Anything that delays or annoys the visitor is a bad idea.
2. Confusing Website Home Pages
   Social media sites, like MySpace and others, have influenced many young web designers in a bad way. On those sites, cleverness is rewarded, and hidden navigational links, strange color combinations, and other “cool” page elements are popular. Inexperienced web designers sometimes incorporate this philosophy into business websites. Visitors to business web sites want to do business, not play games. If they’re confused by your website, they’re gone.
3. Incorrect Focus on Your Business
   Too many business websites forget the basic needs of their visitors and start right out talking about the business itself. Every visitor to your website is looking for something. Your website must focus on identifying what that something is and speak directly to the visitor. The content on your site must focus on the visitor first, not your business. Anticipating the questions a typical visitor will have and addressing those immediately helps keep your visitor on your site. You can’t convert visitors into customers unless they stay. Your site must be about them, and how your business can help them.
4. Poor Content Quality And Presentation
   Website content, both graphical and text, reflects your business. If the site contains poor quality graphics or images, or if the text on the site is poorly written or has incorrect spelling, grammar, and punctuation, the impression it makes on the visitor is negative. That negative impression becomes the impression the visitor has of your business. It’s that simple. All content on your site needs to be of professional quality, created by professionals who know how to use content to produce results. Anything less will fail.
5. Sending Website Visitors Away
   The Internet works by linking one page to another, weaving a web of connections that can lead anywhere. Some web designers get caught up in this concept and actually put links on business websites that send visitors away from the site. Perhaps the link is to a supplier’s site or to a manufacturer’s site. This is one of the most common reasons that potential customers don’t convert into actual customers. Once your website visitor moves to another website, it’s very unlikely that he or she will return to your site. Don’t make this all-too-common mistake.

Minneapolis Web Designs – Effective Sites That Work

At AmalgaMedia, we recognize the flaws that can hurt your website. Our experience and knowledge will keep your website from making any of these or other costly mistakes. Instead, we’ll design a fast, well-targeted site for your business that incorporates effective design and content.  Your site will grab visitors, lead them through your site, and motivate them to contact you, order products, or visit your business. Contact us today, and we’ll show you what we can do for your business website.