If you spend much time online, you’ve noticed that every website is unique. The colors, styles, images, message, speed, fonts, and more are what make one website different from another. Here at Capstone, we build websites all the time, and it’s always amazing how different they are even though we follow much the same process with design and development. One website will have an odd glitch even though it appears that there is nothing different in the development of another similar site that we have built. Another site quickly ranks keywords, while another seems excessively slow.
While everyone wants a site that is beautiful, modern, fast, and effective in bringing in customers, there are many things to consider. If your website isn’t converting, these may be some of the reasons why. If even one or two of these items apply for your website, I would recommend making the necessary changes or getting someone to help you.
1. Are you using the right keywords?
You need to be using the right keywords on your website in order to attract the right people. For example, if you are a dog groomer in Miami, Florida, your keywords should not be “Cute Dogs in the U.S.” I know that sounds silly, but it happens all the time. Your keywords also need to be in the right place on your site so Google will find them. Your title tags are the ideal place to put your keywords in order to draw the right audience to your site. If you are working with an SEO professional, they should be able to do keyword research for you to help your site get ranking on Google.
2. Is your content “people-friendly”?
Your content needs to “speak” to your viewers. By speak, I mean give them information that they want and/or need to hear. I’ve worked with professionals who feel the need to write with big, fancy words that the average person does not understand. Instead, make your content real and authentic, not cheesy, sales-y, or professional. It’s likely that real people with real needs will be reading your content, so get behind their heads and tell them how you can relate to them and help, and also offer some simple solutions without giving away the store.
3. Do you make your contact information easily accessible?
It’s vital that people know how to get in touch with you. They may have questions, they may want to do some research on you, or they may want to buy your services or products. I’ve worked with online business owners who didn’t want to share their address or last name for fear that someone will stalk them or find out where they are located. You can’t have a business without putting yourself out there. In fact, the more you share about yourself, the more likely that people will find you, know you are a real person, and be interested in doing business with you. Just keep your personal information separated as much as possible, always remembering that even personal profiles on social media and directories can be found, and they speak a great deal about you as a person.
4. Is your website fast or slow?
If your website is too slow, people will leave. According to a SEMRush report in 2018, of 150,000 analyzed websites, 82.89% had negative issues affecting their website speed. Almost as shocking is this article from MachMetrics.com, which shows that 23% of visitors to a site will leave if it’s too slow. It’s vital to learn how fast your website is on both desktop and mobile, and then follow the instructions given if your site is too slow. When you understand that one-quarter of your possible visitors leave because of a slow site, you will realize how important speed is – for both desktop and mobile views of your website. You can use Google Page Speed Insights to get started.
5. Is your website aesthetically pleasing?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the fact that your site needs to look nice. Back in the 80s and 90s, there were some pretty horrific looking websites created with lots of noise and blinking ads. Thankfully, those aren’t so common but I still see many sites that need a major overhaul. Different niches require a different look, of course. Sleep consultants typically choose warm, fuzzy colors and baby images, while attorneys have less fluff and business pictures. I would recommend looking at others in your industry to see what they’re doing. You can get ideas and learn a lot about how others in your industry are reaching out to others.
There are no hard fast rules for the way a website looks as long as it makes sense to people visiting your website. If I visit a doctor’s site that has blinking ads, lots of pinks and purple, and music playing in the background, I will quickly go elsewhere. And, of course, make sure your website is mobile friendly because everyone is using tablets and smartphones these days.
Those who visit your site need to see that you are real, that you care, and that you can make a difference. I encourage my clients to have videos on their websites to talk to people about their services, or just to offer advice. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone by viewing a video and actually hearing them talk about their passions and services and/or products. A real face and real voice show so much about the real person, and that can make all the difference. It also can show that you take your business seriously and are an expert in your field.
Get the answers you need
Many business owners spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new website. The last thing you want is for that website to fail in bringing you the clients you want and need. Review the list above and feel free to reach out to me at Capstone if you have questions or need help. We’ve been building websites for over fifteen years so we can usually help figure out problems so your site can be the marketing tool you need it to be.
