Your website is set up. You have been blogging and making sure that fresh content is posted on a regular basis. Unfortunately, you’re getting less traffic than your biggest competitor who just recently set up their own site. What’s wrong, you say? A big factor could be the web design. So, what’s keeping those customers away?
They can’t find your “contact us” link
Your products are presented in a simple layout. They’re also described in great detail and have no hidden charges during checkout. But you can’t figure out why customers are not buying as much from you as from the other companies, even though your price is lower than theirs. Have you ever thought of the “contact us” link? Do they have a hard time trying to figure out how to get in touch with you? You may be putting too much emphasis on being “groovy” and opting for exaggerated and elaborate designs that do not tell your customers how to call you for inquiries.
Tip: Just state it simply: Contact Us. As much as possible, make sure to put that link where they can clearly say it.
The Design is Too Bright and Too Flashy
Just because you’re selling jewelry doesn’t mean that you’ll also opt for the “bling” and put a lot of blinking diamonds on your website. Drawing attention to your site means you have to focus on the marketing campaign and not on “attracting” customers with your site’s flashiness.
Tip: Avoid neon or loud colors that hurt the eyes. Ask random people to visit your website and if they don’t know what to do next, it’s time to rethink the web design.
It Doesn’t Work Well with Mobile Devices
Most consumers are going mobile nowadays. The first contact is usually through their smartphones or tablets. If your site is not optimized for those gadgets, you’ll be losing a lot of money when they take their business somewhere else.
Tip: Aside from going the responsive path, you also have to make sure that your site will load faster on mobile. Remember that most customers who are on the go are busy people and don’t want to be bothered with a slow website.
Doing it Yourself
Unless you’re a designer who’s well versed with trends in web designing, avoid taking the DIY route. There may be a lot of online tools that can help you create your website, but if you’re not a professional designer, it may be best to leave it to the experts.
Tip: If you can set a small budget aside from a professional designer, it would be a wise move for your small business. There are a lot of things an expert can do for you as opposed to doing it on your own.
Keep in mind that your online presence is most important, and when customers visit your site for the first time, they’ll be making their own assumptions about your business based on what they see online.
Your visibility online will improve once you employ good web design to be part of your business. First impressions last and you don’t want to lose chances on a badly created site and let customers assume that you don’t seem to take things seriously. Don’t be afraid to spend on the good design if you can’t do it on your own.
