5 Common Website Mistakes You Should Definitely Avoid

In today’s world, an online presence is necessary if you want to be able to create a strong brand, attract new customers and retain those you already have. There are currently over a billion of websites right now, with hundreds of websites being built almost every day. Having a website that will stand out from the rest is no joke. You need to put a lot of effort, time and money to create a web presence that can compete in the online world. For years, websites have grown in ease and quality, and it’s now possible to make a simple, inexpensive business website by yourself. However, having the best website creation program alone cannot guarantee your website will be a success.

Although not as difficult as many people may think, there is a lot of work involved in creating and updating a website. There’s no better time to examine your web strategy than right now, to discover some of the most well-known website mistakes that you should avoid.

The Most Common Website Mistakes To Avoid

Mistake #1: No Analytics

One of the biggest website mistakes to avoid is not looking at the relevant data behind every website. A lot of small businesses do not use analytics tools to track their website performance. Keep in mind that your website is an investment. The most important thing you can do to preserve your investment is to examine its progress and measure on its success.

You can test out and quickly track it with some tools available online, with Google Analytics as the most widely used. Google Analytics is easy to use and will give you amounts of valuable information about the users’ behaviors. It will also allow you to set up specific goals to track your conversion. Combine your data with digital advertising, and you’ll be able to accurately target your audience that can truly help your business. If you don’t know much about using Google Analytics, don’t you worry. It’s customizable, user-friendly and the data can be seen whenever you want.

Mistake #2: Not Enough Mobile Experience

There is a growing number of consumers that use their mobile devices to search for specific products and services. It’s amazing how many people are greatly attached to their smartphones. You might see a group of friends at a restaurant completely ignoring each other as they are preoccupied with their phones.

Most website designs are now mobile responsive, meaning it can adapt to any size of the screen it is being viewed on, whether it’s desktops, smartphones or tablets. However, merely having a mobile version of your website may not be enough to meet your visitors’ expectations. Your website also needs to be responsive to different web browsers, meaning it needs to be configured to display and load quickly on a screen of any device. If your page cannot be completely navigated using mobile devices, then you could potentially be missing out on a lot of significant conversions and traffic.

Mistake #3: Hidden Contact Info

Your business should is everybody’s business. Your customers will need to get in touch with you easily. However, some website owners still forget to place any contact info, specifically in the header and footer or on a dedicated contact page. This is one of the easiest website mistakes to avoid.

Failing to put a phone number and address in those locations may be fatal to your business. If you’re selling a product, you need to offer viewers a lot of ways to contact you immediately. The quickest way is to put up a Contact Us page that leads them to the complete information like the email, phone number, and address. That link should also be located on several pages of your website. Even if nobody ever contacts you, the essence of this information adds legitimacy and credibility of your website. Whether it’s an inquiry, purchase or subscription, you need to put a clear call to action that will lead them to the next step.

Mistake #4: Failing to Link Social Media Platforms

A lot of businesses have their own Facebook pages, others post their activities on Twitter, while some use Instagram to show some photos. The point here is that social media is essential for any business since it will provide them with the online presence they need. If you forget to link your social media platforms to your website, then that is a big no-no. People should immediately be able to go from different social media platforms without having any trouble. Using social media to drive more customers and promote your business will only be successful if you make it easy and accessible for users to navigate it. If done correctly, you can drive a lot more traffic to your website.

Social media is an exceptional way to reach new customers, many of whom might not find your website without the use of social media. If you’re not that active on social media, then you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic. Keep in mind that your website needs a well-maintained social media presence which can link to your website.

Mistake #5: Poor Navigation

Having a website that ‘s hard to navigate is like leading guests to your home, making them get lost, and eventually, leave your home. Your website needs to create a straightforward and quick navigation, meaning that a user should be able to see where it is. If a user gets lost, you’re bound to lose them as a potential customer, and this is simply one of the common website mistakes to make. Putting up a distinctly visible navigation bar that’s correctly in place is essential to make a solid navigation experience. Also, don’t forget the sitemap, as this will allow users to easily and quickly jump to any page within your website.

While there is no standard rule to having a smooth navigation process within a website, especially now as more and more technologies emerge, it is important to understand that navigation must be as simple and easy as possible. Remember, if users can’t locate what they want on your website, they’ll leave immediately.