Enjoy this week’s guest post by Janelle Reichman of Ellanyze and ask yourself if you are making any of these website mistakes.
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What’s the very first thing a new contact or prospective client does after meeting you face to face?
You guessed it: they visit your website.
When people meet you in person they’re easily able to see you for your brilliant and charming self. And then, it’s imperative that when they type your domain name into their web browser and hit enter, what they see there is a true reflection of that, and of you.
However, all too often, business owners make the following mistakes on their business websites, and it doesn’t bode well for those first online impressions that happen every day.
Below are the five biggest website mistakes that almost everyone makes – so you don’t have to make them.
1) The top of your homepage does not communicate what you do and how you can help.
Ever visit someone’s website and poke around for a few minutes, only to find yourself utterly confused about what exactly it is they do? Don’t be that person. What does your work look like, or how are people changed after they work with you? In other words, what do you do, and how do you help? Put this information up on your homepage, front and center, and say it in a way that feels good to you.
2) Your website is not mobile friendly.
How can you tell if your website is mobile friendly? Enter your website URL into this free Mobile-Friendly Test by Google to find out for sure. If you failed the test and are wondering what to do about it, working with a professional web designer to make sure your website provides an optimum experience for mobile users (and all users) is one way, or choosing a mobile-friendly template on your DIY website builder of choice is another.
3) Your homepage has too much stuff on it.
I always tell my clients, if you put everything that matters to you on your homepage, nobody is going to truly absorb any of it. What’s most important in your business right now? Is it a new offering? Or an opt-in you’ve just launched? Whatever is most important, make that the priority and simmer down the rest. The beauty of a website is that it’s never written in stone. Keep things simple, choose your “above the fold” text and photos wisely, and your content will pack more of a punch.
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4) It takes more than four seconds for your website to load.
Amazingly, if your website takes more than four seconds to load, the chances that someone will navigate away from your website without ever leaving the homepage increases by 90%. Wowsers! While you can work to your heart’s content by optimizing photos or minimizing plugins, I’ve found that the easiest way to address site load speed is by choosing a good hosting company in the first place. Here’s the one I love (not an affiliate link).
5) Your contact info is hard to find.
Make it easy – and I mean crazy easy – for people to see how to contact you. A few ideas: making sure the word “Contact” is in your navigation plain and simple, listing your contact info in the header and/or footer of your website, or having a contact form right on your homepage.
So, were you making any of the top five website mistakes, and what do you intend to do about it?? Share with us in the comments below.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Janelle Reichman is the founder and owner of Ellanyze, a boutique web design studio based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she creates aligning websites for heart-centered entrepreneurs and creatives across the country. Read more from Janelle on the Ellanyze website, or follow her on Facebook or LinkedIn.
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