Mistakes
to Avoid on the Web
By:
Thomas Young, MBA
From
our experience, here are a few of the biggest Website
mistakes. Usability testing and solid Internet marketing
strategies can minimize these problems.
The
Usability Gap
There
is a usability gap where the site visitor does not understand
your message or how to use the site properly. This causes
a disconnect between the intentions of the Website and
how people actually use the site. Most sites are created
in a vacuum where only a few people build something
that is seen by many. Putting your site in front of
test users is a great way to break free from this vacuum
and gain real understanding of how people use your site.
Marketing
Versus IT
IT
departments manage the Website, rather than marketing.
Websites are marketing tools best managed by marketing.
IT staff may oversee development and technology issues,
but marketing staff are the key strategists behind the
site's purpose and use. Marketing should be advocates
for the customer and best understand to how to meet
customer needs.
Simplicity
of Design
Many
Websites are ugly with a poor layout, colors, graphics,
photos and small fonts. This can happen when an IT staff
member takes it upon himself or herself to become a
graphic designer. This leads to a site with too many
images, photos or too much design. Visitors comment
on this by noticing that the site is too cluttered,
noisy and confusing.
Look
for designers that specialize in clean, simple and easy
to follow designs. Site visitors are much more interested
in ease of use and access to the key information they
want, rather than too much design.
Broken
Sites
The
site breaks or is clunky. Thoroughly test your site
because broken links and other site problems are a reflection
on your business and a marketing issue. This communicates
the wrong message about your company. In depth user
testing can help alert you to technical flaws and fix
them.
It's
About the Site Visitor
One
common mistake on the Web is sites that focus on the
company too much, with little meaningful content for
visitors. Fill your site with benefits to customers
that answer their questions and meet their needs. Your
site will only get results in direct proportion to what
it does for visitors and customers.
A
few last reminders to increase the usability of your
site:
·
Keep the site updated on a regular basis.
· Include contact information on every page.
· Use a secure connection.
· People with money wear reading glasses, use
large fonts on the Web.
· Be consistent and keep it simple. This leads
to happy site visitors.
Finally,
remember that on the Web you can't just "build
it and they will come." You must market the Website
to draw in traffic.
BONUS!
Ten Questions to Ask your Developer
What
has been the ROI on this Website?
What is your marketing experience?
What is your design experience?
How do search engines work?
What do suppose people are thinking when they see the
home page?
Do you have comprehensive stats, including unique visitors?
How can we get traffic to this site?
What works on the Internet in our industry or marketplace?
Do you write HTML?
Do I need a Website? Why?
How easy is it for users to navigate the site?
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