A lot of work goes into creating a website. And when a website is complete even more work goes into maintaining it. Which is why it is surprising when you come across a well-designed website with obvious flaws. Surprisingly this occurs more frequently than you may think – even on popular big-business websites. Below are 5 of the most common mistakes I come across when browsing websites.
1: Poor Mobile Responsiveness
It is no secret that many people today are using mobile web applications to browse the internet. Think about yourself personally, how often do you browse the web on your phone? The convenience and ease of access are just too easy to deny. We even find ourselves browsing the internet and social media on our phones while using the bathroom. Failing to optimize your website for mobile use is akin to shooting yourself in the foot. Over 60% of internet searches today occur on mobile platforms. For this reason, do yourself a favor and don’t forget to make your website responsive to mobile.
2: Having Low Quality or Unprofessional Images
Multimedia is king! Sharing your messages through the power of professional images and video is critical to increasing your presence on the web. Images with low quality are harmful to your business. These low-quality images can give your business a non-professional image. In today’s digital society, viewers want to see that your website meets a certain level of standards. If you fall beneath that level of standards, your business can be deemed untrustworthy and unreputable. Therefore, failing to include professional images can seriously harm your reputation. For more info check out my article on 6 places to find high-quality images for your website in 2019.
3: Websites that contain Broken Links
Broken Links are your worst nightmare and it occurs more frequently than you can imagine. When Google crawls your website and discovers broken links, it will hurt your SEO rankings. The search engines of today want to see that your website is ready to be shown to the web surfers of the world. Failing to meet that requirement will drop your website faster than a brick in the ocean. It is absolutely necessary to include a sitemap in your website that includes only functional links with quality content.
4: Lacks a Clear Message: a call to action
You have a website for a reason, you want a viewer to take a certain action. However, many people forget this crucial element and neglect to include clear calls to action around their website. Your call to action is the desired action that you want a viewer to take. If you fail to list one, how can you expect anyone to do what you want them to do. This sounds obvious, however, so many websites are lacking in this department. You have already done the hard part of creating your site. The easy part is including that Call to Action so your customers know what it is you want them to do. Sometimes a simple button that reads “Contact US”, or “Free Consultation” is all it takes.
5: Typographical error
Typing errors are very common and occur frequently. Even big name news websites like CNN and FOX News, with their multiple editors, are susceptible to typos. While readers may be willing to overlook well-established businesses for their typos, they are less forgiven when it comes to small businesses. Typing errors on your business page could turn potential clients away. It is important to do your best to avoid them. Best way to avoid typing errors is to have multiple eyes look over your website. You can hire a freelancer on websites like Fiverr and Upwork to audit your site. You can also enlist tools like Grammarly, and spellcheck.
