Top 7 Most Common Problems With Business Websites {Updated}
Owners of business websites need to pay close attention to the little things in order to get an edge on the competition.
In the early days of business websites, it used to be enough to have a website, populate it with some details and contact information, and wait for users to come to you.
But over the last decade or so, competition for consumer’s attention, search engine rankings, and conversions has become increasingly fierce. However, it’s still shockingly common to come across sites that are poorly designed and left floundering.
Luckily, most common problems with a business website are relatively easy to fix. Read on to see if you can identify with these problems and find tips on how to rectify them for a better-performing website.
1. Avoiding the Use of Analytics
Analytics is one of the quickest and easiest ways to figure out what is wrong with your website and how to fix it. Google has made it free and easy to get quick overviews of your website performance or go more in-depth into your metrics.
Some of the most important metrics to pay attention to on your website are:
- Bounce rate
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how many visitors your site is attracting if 100% of them are bouncing straight back off it.
- Session Duration
Session duration can tell you a lot about how engaged people are with your website. Are they skimming a page and leaving? Or is your website engaging them into further exploring your site?
- Acquisition
Knowing where your website visitors are coming from can tell you where you need to invest more time and resources in your marketing efforts.
- Goals
Goals are Google Analytics speak for website conversions. You can set a specific action (form fill, contact us, purchase made) on your website to be tracked as completed goals on GA.
2. Ignoring Insights from Users
Insights from your website users can come in two primary forms: through your analytics and direct contact with individual users.
It’s essential to listen to all feedback regarding your website and adjust it accordingly, particularly if you consistently hear similar complaints.
To gather direct feedback from users on the quality of your website, you can:
- Use a simple website plugin that requests feedback on User Experience (UX) through pop-ups.
- Reach out to loyal, long term customers and ask them for feedback, particularly if you have recently made changes to the website.
3. Not Encouraging a Conversion
When users visit your website, it’s critical to provide clear and simple paths to taking action on your site.
The ultimate goal is to drive users down a path to purchase. That path may lead to direct purchases on your website, contacting your company for a quote, booking an appointment, or encouraging in-store visits.
These core elements help to guide users down a path to purchase:
- Contact/quote forms
- Calls to Action (Buy Now, Download, etc.)
- Listed contact information
Driving website conversions can take a little more expertise. So if you’re in any doubt, engaging the services of a web design company like Chennai Creative can ensure your website converts traffic into customers.
4. No Website Maintenance
A fully functioning website is essential. Website functionality affects:
- Brand trust
- Brand perception
- Return visits
- Conversions
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If a user lands on a page and receives an error, slow loading times, or calls-to-action that don’t work, the potential is high for them to look elsewhere immediately.
A poorly maintained website can also be a security risk and leave you open to various forms of malware. Not only that, poor website maintenance can impact how your site ranks on search engines.
Regular maintenance of your business website should include, among others, monitoring for:
- Broken links
- Toxic backlinks
- Firewalls/security
- Sitemap is correct
- Security certificate is valid
If technical website maintenance is a bit beyond your reach, there are several plugins available for WordPress websites that enable easy maintenance and security of your site.
5. Not Using Images
Studies show that websites only have 0.05 seconds to make a positive first impression on users. There is nothing more off-putting for users than an ugly website that is simply a wall of text. Graphics and imagery are a core component of engaging web design and encouraging users not to bounce from your site and onto those of your competitors.
When using imagery on your business website, you should take the following into account:
- Branding
The images you use should enhance the impression you want to give along with your brand image and persona.
- Audience Match
Images that include people tend to create a more engaging impression than those that do not. The people and content of your photos should speak to your target audience.
- Alt Text
Ensure all your images are optimized for SEO by including keywords you are targeting in the alt text.
- Quality
Any imagery used should be of high quality and high resolution for a professional look.
- Content
Try to include images that include movement and energy, rather than static and posed photos.
6. Not Having a Responsive Website
Responsive web design enhances the functionality of your website across all different types of devices and screen sizes. With two out of every three minutes spent online now being browsed through mobile devices, ensuring your website has a responsive design is vital.
Responsive web design means:
- Lower bounce rates
- More positive brand impressions
- Higher conversion rates
Studies show that 40% of people will choose a different search result if the first is not mobile-friendly, so this should be a priority for your website design.
7. Not Paying Attention to the Latest SEO Tactics
Search engines are continually updating the algorithms they use to determine how web pages are ranked in the search results. Keeping your business website optimized for the most recent developments in Search Engine Optimization ensures you don’t slip down the rankings for your key search terms.
To optimize your site for the latest developments in SEO, you should:
- Create exceptional content
- Use content syndication on third-party platforms
- Avoid “black hat” linking strategies
- Optimize for voice search
- Aim to rank for SERP features (e.g., search result “snippets”)
Final Thoughts Regarding Business Websites
It can feel like an impossible task to stay up to date with the myriad of constant developments in building and managing a business website. By starting with these tips, you’re sure to see your website deliver increased performance in no time at all.