Building a website for a business is a big task. More than any other advertising or marketing you do, your website is your primary virtual storefront. Like launching your first website, hiring a designer to help you do it might feel overwhelming. That’s understandable.

Knowing some common website mistakes to avoid will help ensure that you and your designer are on the right track.

1. Hiring a designer not familiar with social media

Once upon a time, social media did not exist (or it was so new) that a good web designer was simply one with coding knowledge and a great eye. But your web designer now MUST be up on social media trends and habits if he or she is to make a site that is integrated with your social platforms. You want to make it easy for your customers to share your products and content with a push of a button. You want them to able to see where and what social media platforms you’re on, with the option to see part of the feed right on the site itself. Even if your small business isn’t active on social media, much of the world is. Make it easy for them to share you!  Websites for a Song will set up your new website to automatically post your news to your Facebook page and your Twitter page.  If you don’t have this, I will be happy to set it up for you – just ask!!

2. Forgetting to include a blog

The most common excuse for not including a blog on a new website is, “But I won’t have time to update it!”

Blogging (or in the business world, content marketing) is one the most effective ways to establish authority online. Not only does it give Google a better chance at ranking your site, it provides resources and tips to your customers, and gives people something to share with others besides a simple product or service. No matter what kind of business you run, a blog needs to be part of the plan.

Blogging doesn’t have to be a thesis.  Just a couple of paragraphs about the latest trends in your business that you can share with your customers or potential clients can go a long way.  And if you don’t have time, you can schedule them out to post at future dates and times – it’s all built into WordPress!!

3. Making the blog on a separate URL from the website

So not a good idea…  If your designer uses WordPress, a blog and website can all reside on the same URL with no trouble. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, having your blog separated from your website means double the work to get both URLs to start ranking with Google. By building your website and blog all in one, it’ll be easier to update, not to mention more efficient in gaining traction quickly.

4. Ignoring mobile responsiveness in the design process

It’s common to have your designer (and you) do all the website revisions and planning with the idea of a desktop screen in mind. But that trend has quickly come to an end.  Did you know that the majority of people now view websites from their mobile phones and tablets? And, Google recently announced a penalty for any site that isn’t mobile responsive by April 21.

Mobile Internet browsing is projected to overtake its desktop counterpart — and you want to be on the right side of that trend.

If you’ve already built a site, check to see if it passes the mobile friendly test here, and if you really want to check out how it responds on different screen sizes and devices, check out Screenfly on Quirktools – it’s what I use.

5. Promoting instead of serving as a resource

“Here’s an idea: Let’s make a website that brags, toots our horn, and promotes everything that’s awesome about our business!”

What you want to feature might not be what your readers and clients want to see and hear. It’s tempting to spend all your time designing the pages that explain why you’re amazing, your products or services, prices, etc. This should all be on a website, but what about thinking like a customer?

If you’re a photographer, for example, you should have helpful resource links front and center on your website. Whether it links to free PDF downloads, your blog, or outside sites, your potential customers will feel a sense of trust in your brand if you make your site about helping them solve their problem. Awards, testimonials, reviews and other newsworthy mentions are important to include on your site, but they can’t stand alone. Help your customers first, and business will follow.

Keep your blog in mind for extra content!

6. Failing to build an email list

Email is still the primary way to reach a potential client. Your website should have easy-to-find spots for viewers to enter their email address for special offers, exclusive downloads, or other deals. Make sure you have the signup forms in several places, and that your form works well on mobile devices.  The best service I can recommend for small businesses is Mailchimp.com – it’s also very easy to integrate into your new website.  And, it’s free!

7. Just too much

The No. 1 problem I see with new business websites? Too much. Too much writing, too many options, too many sidebars, sliders and other fancy flashy plugins. Again, it’s important to think about the potential client who finds your website. Think like a viewer and remember what you may look for when you’re searching the interwebs…

Things like:

  • Contact information
  • A short succinct mission statement or “about us” section
  • An organized way to view your products and services
  • Free resources to help them either solve their problem or make a decision

With every design idea you or your designer have, ask if it aids in one of the above tasks. Most of the time, full-width sliders do not. Pages of business-related press releases or news do not. An About page that gives the whole history of your company does not.  Think like a customer when considering a design idea for your website.

Simple is effective

Most small businesses will be surprised to know just how effective a simple, clean website can be. It doesn’t mean your site has to look like a template, but it does mean that in everything you do, keep your client or customer at the forefront of the design process.


At Websites for a Song, I work with small businesses and individuals like you every day. In fact, I’m essentially just like you!  I take joy in creating a website that you can be proud of at a price you can afford.  Contact me today for more information on how to get the design process going.

 

Websites for a Song
Lisa Drew
WordPress Diva & Website Creator, Classical Singer, Artist
Websites for a Song LLC
https://websitesforasong.com

Office Hours (unless urgent):
M-F 10am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday Closed

EV SSL