Small Business Website Mistakes to Avoid
Every business needs a website. Whether your business is brand new or it’s been established for decades, a website helps you to reach out to both old and new customers. It acts as a marketing channel, and it provides vital information to people who want to learn more about your business.
Putting together a website for your small business doesn’t need to be difficult, but people often make some common mistakes that cause problems for them. If you know which mistakes to avoid, you can create a small business website that’s effective and a great advertisement for your business. Make sure you avoid the following mistakes.
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Doing It All Yourself
There are multiple tools and website-building platforms out there that make it easier than ever to build your own site. It can definitely be tempting to build your own website, especially when you don’t have a huge budget.
However, taking the DIY route might give you an adequate website, but it will not necessarily get you an amazing website. Even if you choose to use a platform like WordPress to build your site, getting professional help will make it a lot better. Professional web designers and developers will ensure your site has everything that it needs to serve your customers.
Not Keeping Your Site Updated
Once you have a website, you might think that’s it. Your site is up and running, and that’s all you have to do. But that attitude is how you end up with a website that’s ten years out of date, both in its design and the information that it displays. Keeping your website up to date is vital if you want it to be a useful marketing channel and point of contact for potential and existing customers. Regular updates are good for SEO, too, keeping your site fresh.
No Mobile-Friendly Site
Mobile devices are the norm these days. Plenty of people are still using desktop and laptop computers, but they’re also using phones, tablets, and other mobile devices to get online. That means that if your website isn’t suitable for mobile devices, it can cause problems. Your site should have a responsive design to adjust to fit different screen sizes, browsers, and whether someone is using a mouse or a touch screen to navigate your site. This will ensure your site is functional for everyone, no matter what device they’re using.
Lack of Clear Calls to Action
A call to action makes it clear what your website visitor should be doing next. What do you want them to do? Sign up for your newsletter, or perhaps add a product to their cart? Including clear calls to action on your site will guide your visitors and help them take the next step.
However, be careful not to have too many calls to action on one page. Giving people multiple different instructions at once can be confusing. Be aware of these top small website mistakes, and you can avoid making some big missteps when you’re building your site.
