Posted on August 27th, 2008
Almost every business has a web presence these days, even companies that mostly operate off-line. However, not all those websites are created equal; some of them are amazing and effective, but some of them, well, they could use some serious improvement.
There are five issues that our web design agency comes across particularly often, even on websites that represent major brands and large corporations (proving that no one is immune to web design problems). However, none of them are impossible to fix, and most are fairly simple to remedy. Here we go:
1. Failure to rank. Building a website without considering search engine optimization is like opening a restaurant without a front door or a sign outside. Yes, some restaurateurs do go in for the exclusivity factor, but when you are building a business online you want as much traffic as possible. If your site doesn’t rank for your industry’s most popular and relevant keywords you might as well be that restaurant without a door or sign welcoming in customers.
2. Failure to navigate. A stunning, creative design is pointless if your visitors can’t find what they are looking for quickly and easily. You should have a clear navigation bar a search box, and anything else you offer (product categories, services, etc.) listed on the home page.
3. Failure to launch. If your website features video clips, podcasts, or audio tracks, they had better work. Videos that are unavailable, elements that lack cross-browser-compatibility (or entire website that doesn’t work in a particular browser), or anything else that doesn’t launch correctly when visitors arrive at your site definitely results in a web design fail. On a related note, no one likes to scroll horizontally to read all your content, so make sure your website works properly in different resolutions.
4. Failure to proceed. Don’t make your visitors sit through a long Flash intro without the option to skip. Just don’t do it.
5. Failure to contact. This seems incredibly obvious, but neglecting to include contact information on your website or having a contact form that doesn’t work is a significant problem - but at least it is easy to fix.
If your website suffers from any of these issues, don’t worry (too much) - nothing is impossible to fix. In fact, hiring a web design company that focuses on business web development, usability, and online marketing is a step in the right direction. At the very least, consider this post as a reminder to take the time to reassess your website from the perspective of a new visitor, not an owner or company representative. You may be surprised at what you learn.
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September 1st, 2008
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