Top 7 Website Mistakes Small Businesses Must Avoid

Whether you’re an experienced small business owner or starting on a new venture, now is the perfect moment to evaluate your online strategy. Most startups originate as small businesses, with 23 million small enterprises in America contributing to 54% of total U.S. sales. As you take on your journey as a new business, establishing a professional web presence is essential. It not only attracts new customers but also builds credibility and nurtures client relationships.

Before getting on the journey of creating a new website or refreshing an existing one, take a moment to consider some essential questions:

1. What objectives does the website aim to achieve?
2. Who are the ideal customers or clients?
3. Who will be responsible for updating the site, and what will the frequency of those updates be?
4. How much will it cost to update or maintain?

Once you’ve laid out the fundamentals of your strategy, be mindful to steer clear of these costly errors. Do you currently own a website? No need to fret… With a bit of consideration and effort, all of these issues can be resolved.

Mistake 1: No Call to Action

The finest user experiences on websites inform customers where to go, what to do, and how to feel. A clear call to action, or CTA, will help visitors focus on what they need to do next. Showcase content that highlights the benefits of your products or services and includes an attention-grabbing call to action that encourages action.

Be really clear in your terminology; using inventive call-to-action phrases is not required. Strong calls to action include “Add to Cart,” “Get Started,” “Contact Us Today,” and “Sign Up Now.” Be brief and straightforward.

Mistake 2: Lack of analytics

75% of small business websites don’t track their performance using analytics tools! Consider your website as an investment for your small business. Assessing the investment’s progress and determining its successes (and failures) is one of the most crucial things you can do to safeguard it.

The web’s ease of testing, tracking, and adjustment is one advantage. You can utilize Google Analytics, the most popular metrics tool, for this purpose. With the help of this tool, you can set up goals to monitor conversion and get a ton of useful information about user behavior. You can precisely target (and retarget) your internet marketing to an audience that generates business by combining this data with a pay-per-click campaign.

Mistake 3: Weak SEO

Achieving high search engine results is not a magic method. In the past, it consisted of a variety of backlinks (whether reputable or not), title tags, meta descriptions, and keywords. These days, search engine algorithms are far more intelligent and evaluate a website based on a wide range of factors.

If there are a handful of crucial elements to focus on for site optimization, they are as follows:

Pay attention to long-tail keywords. User searches are moving toward a more natural language approach in this area. Longer keyword phrases will rank easier for small businesses than shorter ones, and they may generate more relevant leads.

For example, try “how much does a kitchen renovation cost” rather than “kitchen renovation.” That particular user might be already examining pricing—crucial details that you might offer to assist in establishing a relationship.

Regularly publish high-quality content. As the saying goes, content remains king. Relationships with potential or returning clients won’t be strengthened by a stale website. Therefore, you need to provide original, educational, and novel information. These days, producing regular, high-quality material is a very beneficial SEO strategy.

Consider adding a blog section to your website for your small business. You can post articles about news stories, industry trends, or useful knowledge on a blog. Choose subjects that will interest readers and offer valuable knowledge in a well-written essay of at least 500 words, if not more.

Mistake 4: “Secret” Contact Details

Everyone should be interested in your business. Clients and customers must be able to contact you with ease. We have found that a surprising number of small business website owners do not have their phone number displayed clearly in the header and footer, or on a separate contact page. Include the direct phone number in the header along with a clear call to action.

Include a link to the “Contact Us” page in the main menu. Provide as many avenues for users to get in touch with you as you can, including by phone, email, contact form submission, and even your Facebook or Twitter profile. Always respond right away to maintain the relationship’s foundation of trust.

Mistake 5: No Mobile Site Experience

Last but not least, and this is a significant one, how a customer perceives your small company website increasingly depends on how it appears on their mobile device. These days, people are always connected, and they use their smartphone browsers at a pace that is nearly higher than their PC usage (by 2015, that is, this year!).

Provide a consistent shopping experience across all platforms, including desktop, tablet, and mobile (a responsive site design can help achieve this). Your company cannot afford to be without a mobile presence, as mobile accounts for more than 50% of all traffic and 21% of conversions.

Think about a mobile-friendly web design, which is Google-approved for SEO and offers the best experience!

Featured article: Is your website losing clients? 7 UI/UX mistakes to avoid.

Mistake 6: Slow Loading Times

A web page that loads too slowly. Why It Matters: Users expect that a website will load in three seconds or less. If you delay any longer, they’ll probably leave.

Featured article: How to optimize website loading speed?

Reduce code, use browser caching, and optimize pictures to increase speed. To pinpoint certain areas that require work, use tools such as Page Speed Insights. By taking these steps, you can enhance user experience while simultaneously raising your SEO ranks.

Mistake 7: Outdated Content

Your website may have broken links or out-of-date material. Why It Matters: Stale material can give the impression that your company is untrustworthy and unprofessional.

Check your website frequently for broken links and add new information. Maintaining up-to-date information keeps visitors interested in your website and increases credibility.

Conclusion:

Consider employing a web-trained specialist to help you manage all the tasks that come with being a new business owner. They can guarantee that your small business website creates leads for your company by giving your clients the best possible experience. The ideal creative partner should be able to offer advice on successful social media strategies, search engine optimization techniques, and the kind of content that will attract an audience in addition to web design and development.

By staying away from these typical mistakes, you may turn your website from a burden into a strong advantage. Ensure the success of your website by consistently exploring opportunities to specialize in small company website redesign.

Don’t let these website pitfalls hold your business back. Learn how to create a website that drives growth and delivers results.