The idea that it is sufficient to “just have a website” for your business is a myth that needs to be to dispelled. Your website is the face of your business on the internet. People are making the decision whether or not they should contact you based on your Toronto web design. It is the main method of vetting companies in the Internet Age.
So… your website is essentially having sales meetings with possible clients and prospects that you don’t even know about on a daily. Is your website up to the task?
In this article, we will review 7 essential areas where your website may be failing and the measures you can take to fix them.
Slow to Load
Before a prospect has even looked at your website, you may have a disaster on your hands. If your website is slow to load, your prospect make simply move on. They have the world’s information at their fingertips, so why would they wait to load up your website when they can simply move on to your competitors?
Has been determined that 5 seconds is the maximum amount of time that a website should take to load. Anything after that causes the port user experience, and the person who’s been trying to view your website is likely to move on it. Some reasons for slow low time are:
- Poor hosting company service
- Not optimized images/videos
- Website is not cached
- Too many HTTP requests
Hire a professional to ensure that your website load times are up to snuff.
Convoluted Navigation/Architecture
There a few things as frustrating to a website visitor as not being able to find what they are looking for with a relative degree of ease. The content that website visitors looking for should never be more than two clicks away. That means that your navigation and your page hierarchy needs to be logical and speak to the user.
The navigation, as well as the content that you create for your site, should be clear and simple. Great website copy answers the six questions of journalism: who, what, where, why, how, when.
- Who are we? Who are our clients?
- What are our clients needs? What services do we offer?
- Why do we do what we do?
- How do we execute these solutions for clients?
- Where and when do we do this work?
This content needs to be provided in the simplest possible manner for your visitors.
Not Mobile Friendly/Responsive
This is a relatively new must-have for a website, but it is incredibly important at this stage. In the last few years, viewing websites and surfing the internet on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has become the preferred method for consumers. That means that your website used to look good on all devices.
Have you ever been to a website where you have to pinch and zoom and then click a link and then pinch and zoom again? People aren’t willing to do that anymore. They will simply move on to your competitors and by from them or hire them for their services.
In 2016, almost 60% of internet searches occurred on mobile devices (Seachengineland). Can you imagine excluding that potential client base?
Mobile versions of websites can be designed and implemented, but if your website is not mobile-friendly and it’s a little older, it may be time to start again with a new one.
Missing Critical Information
There are certain essentials about your business that every website needs to have. Besides descriptions of your services, you must have the following on your website to make your visitors’ experience the best possible:
- Contact information including phone number and a contact form.
- An interactive map if you are a brick-and-mortar business and welcome clients at your location.
- Your hours of operation if you have a brick-and-mortar location.
- Pricing, if you are selling products.
- Social media icons link out to your social media pages.
I’ve seen several websites with no contact information for the business. That means that if a person has made the decision to hire you or to buy from you, they are not able to reach you. Clearly, that is a big problem!
It’s Ugly and Irritating
I know that seems a little harsh, but the reality is websites that were appealing 10 years ago can be incredibly grating now. What are some of the things to look out for?
- Using flash on a website
- Videos that automatically start on the load
- Background music that automatically starts on load
- Flashing Banners are flashing text
- Overly bright colors (like neon).
Here is an extreme example of an ugly and irritating website (Sorry, Penny Juice):
So… how do you fix it? Well, you may need an entire redesign. In all of the Toronto website design projects that we work on at Bush Marketing, we always keep in mind one word: minimalism. Our websites are sophisticated and simple and speak very clearly to our clients’ audiences. Four examples, please have a look at our case studies.
It is Antiquated
As mentioned, your website is a reflection on your business. If you’ve got an antiquated website that hasn’t been updated or tended to on a regular basis, it may be time to start again. A business owner can extend the life of their website by adding enhancements and updates on a regular basis. It is important to keep up to date and be sure that your website remains state-of-the-art.
At Bush Marketing, we offer our quarterly review sessions for our clients. Every 3 months, we schedule a virtual meeting with our clients in which they bring their list of enhancements and we bring any recommendations that we have for the site. We review the website virtually, prioritize the changes or enhancements that we choose to make, and we budget for it.
This allows us to keep the web design fresh and up-to-date, which of the end appeals to clients and generates more business. It also extends the life of the web design which saves money in the long run.
Lacks CTAs (Calls to Action)
What a visitor comes to your website they want to know two essential things.
- That you understand their needs.
- That you have solutions to meet their needs.
When creating the content for a website we want to ensure that we do those two things. We understand the needs, or pain points, a potential client, and we offer detailed solutions to those problems.
But there is actually a third step to this process that a lot of business owners miss. This is called the call to action. A call to action is a specific instruction that is given to a visitor once they feel encouraged by what they have seen. Some call to action examples include:
- Call today
- Book your free consultation
- Fill out this form
- Sign up for our email newsletter
One cannot assume that the visitor is going to automatically know what to do once they are ready. Incorporating these calls to action in your web design is vital. Ensure that you have them on your business web design.
So… How is Your Toronto Web Design?
Now you know 7 critical web design fails that your company may be suffering from. If you are seeing any of these on your company website, consider giving us a call. We will guide you in the right direction and help you ensure that your web design represents your company the way it should!
Interested in a unique, custom designed and branded website to help skyrocket your business? Call Bush Marketing today!
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