Four common website mistakes to avoid in 2021
Almost 400 new websites go online every minute, and US consumers will spend an estimated $933 billion on e-commerce alone this year. The importance of your website cannot be overstated and not all websites are created equal. Whether you’re building your own DIY website using Squarespace or hiring a professional website designer, there are four common web design pitfalls you need to avoid to grow your small business website.
404 errors
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A 404 error is the message a user sees when attempting to access a page that has been moved or does not exist. While this is common with many websites, it's also an easy fix. And, fixing the 404 instances is well worth your time as position in search engine results may decline if left unchanged.
Sites like ahrefs can help you quickly identify any 404 errors and quickly resolve them.
Slow load time
While creating an interactive website with dynamic content and beautiful photos is essential, these elements must be also meet response time standards.
A website with large or cluttered images, native videos, and animations usually hinders page navigation and makes accessibility more time-consuming.
Site users will likely abandon your website if it takes more than three seconds to load, and Google may also penalize your website through search rankings and positioning.
Always optimize your images before loading them on your website platform and use embed blocks to add video via Vimeo or YouTube to increase the load speed for pages with video.
Content without a purpose
Every page of your website should include a clear call-to-action that tells your reader exactly what next step you want them to take.
Pages that are informational or do not lead the reader to take action that leads to sales, inquiries, or other business goals will work against you.
These "orphan pages" will hurt your SEO rankings and likely frustrate your reader. Take time to complete a website audit to identify your orphan pages and add valuable, actionable content with clear calls to action.
Writing only for SEO
When you invest money and time into developing and marketing your website, you want to drive consistent traffic to the site so that more people learn about you and what you offer.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most significant drivers of website traffic and largely depends on the content you publish online. However, it's a mistake to "write for Google" and forget about your reader.
Every piece of content you publish on your website should solve a problem that your ideal audience is experiencing. If you're writing for Google only and trying to manipulate your content to boost your rankings, your reader will leave unsatisfied and be less likely to buy from you or donate to your organization.
When you write your content for real people in your ideal target market, it will likely appeal to Google, as well. As a result, site visit time will increase, more users will click through your site, and you'll have more repeat traffic, as well.
Plus, if you're working with a PPC company, you're likely to see better results from your paid advertising campaigns.
Take time to evaluate your own website and identify if any of these issues are holding you back from seeing great results. Don’t forget to measure your website’s performance and make adjustments, as well. Website design and digital marketing are both an art and a science. The most successful business owners are the ones who constantly reevaluate their goals and their performance on a regular basis.
Until next time,
Andrea
One Nine Design is a digital marketing company helping small businesses and nonprofits learn how to use their website and email list to grow their reach and make a bigger impact!
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