Top 10 Reasons Why Websites Fail
Is your website not living up to your expectations? Do you get a sinking feeling every time you look at it, wishing it could perform better? Maybe you regret investing so much of your time and money into your website in the first instance.
But don’t worry. Accepting your website is not up to scratch is the first stage in resolving your problem. It’s far better than just plodding along assuming everything is working fine, when the reality is very different.
After all, creating a successful website is difficult. There are many reasons why your website might not be working and only a few why it might succeed. In order to get a better idea about what does work, you need to understand the reasons why some other things don’t.
With that in mind we have created this list of the top ten reasons that websites fail. Understanding these pitfalls will hopefully give you a clearer understanding of how your site could be working harder for you.
Lack of a blog
You might think that blogs are consigned to the history books, or at best just something that bored teenagers do from their bedrooms. But you couldn’t be more wrong. Keeping a blog – and by that we mean regularly posting quality and relevant content – is the easiest way to keep your website fresh.
It’s a great way to celebrate and share what it is you do, and it has huge potential benefits for your site’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). So, if you don’t have a blog, then start one. Or if you’re simply ignoring your existing blog, then time to put some work in.
Lack of strategy
It’s one thing having a blog, but you need to have some kind of idea of the content you want to share. Your blog needs to have a purpose or focus – a scattergun approach is rarely successful. Think about your tone of voice or consider what it is you want to become known for, then hone in on this.
Compelling, fresh and interesting content related to your business can help to establish you as an authority.
SEO
One of the great misunderstood areas of web success. With three quarters of people never clicking past the first page of search results, being on that first page is essential to your web success.
SEO is the quickest, easiest and most effective way of getting there. If it’s not your thing, then it might be worth getting some outside help.
Social media
Tweeting and ‘likes’ might not be the kind of thing you think your business should be about. But you’d be wrong. No matter your personal feelings on social media, the bottom line is that a lot of people use it, and it works directly or indirectly.
Every business needs a social media presence and, like your blog, it should be one that is based around a planned strategy.
Conversion
Your website might have a million unique visits but if you aren’t turning this traffic into sales then your website is not working. It’s as simple as that.
Your website is more than just a brochure or source of information, it needs to be working visitors down your sales funnel. That means having plenty of calls to action (CTAs) and on-page actions to drive conversion.
Be responsive
The world of technology is moving quickly. People don’t just browse the web on their home desktops anymore. That’s why your site needs to be 100% responsive and work across a range of devices.
Responsive sites are scaled to work on phones, tablets, laptops and all other devices that can access the internet. With more and more people browsing in different ways, this is an absolute must.
Control
If you’re not web or tech savvy, it can be all too easy to relinquish control of your site. But you really need to be able to make updates, upload content, or make small fixes to your site. If not, you’ll be paying a developer every time you want to put up a blog post. It’s worth taking the time to learn how to do it yourself.
Analytics
Understanding how your visitors find you, how they interact with the site, what they like and what they don’t is all invaluable data. The analytics give you information about bounce rates, exit pages and more – and you need to use this information as best as possible.
Ecommerce
No matter what you’re selling – whether it’s goods or services — you need an online shop or sales platform. Payment methods, shipping, online checkouts, and order forms – these are all essential for making your site work harder.
Visuals
Out of date photos, poorly chosen stock images, dated fonts or designs – these are all huge turn-offs for visitors. You need to make sure your site looks and feels modern, sleek, and professional.
So, there you have it – the top 10 reasons why websites fail. If you need help with any of the above issues, then get in touch with our team here at it’seeze Web Design Watford.
We design and build unique websites that are created to work harder for our clients, helping you to succeed online. And on top of this, we provide ongoing support for all websites as standard, so you always have someone to turn to if you need further advice or assistance.
Our affordable web design services are available for businesses throughout Watford and the surrounding areas, so if you are interested in arranging a meeting or simply finding out more about what we can offer, please get in contact!
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