7 Common Small Business Website Mistakes
03. Apr, 2012 
11 Comments
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Wood 7Up Soda Crate with Inserts by: VintageLancaster
7 Common Small Business Website Mistakes
Websites may be a bit easier to put together these days but that doesn’t make them any less daunting to make effective! Effective websites drive traffic, tell your brand’s story and mission, and captivate your customers and clients. If you are in the middle of pulling your first website (or blog!) together or just need a check-in about what you have already made public today we are going to cover the 7 common small biz website mistakes!
Your website may be your potential customers FIRST impression of you–make it a good one!
Website mistake #1–Your content is not updated frequently
A sitting duck of a website can get stale pretty quickly in the search engine world–and this is how many people will try and find you! If you own a small business the reason you have a website is to open the door to information for your customers and you need to keep it updated. The easiest way to update content is with a blog as your homepage or part of your site. Blogging is a GREAT means to drive traffic, tell your brand’s message, and engage your customers.
Website mistake #2–Your about page is all about you
This is a bit odd to wrap your mind around, I admit! However your about page is actually about your customers. What is in it for them? This is what your about page should tell them! How is your business solving, encouraging, helping their lives? Your customers don’t need to know you have 30 years experience (in fact, stating that is very intimidating to approach) but they do need to know how you will fit into their lives.
Website mistake #3–No obvious benefits for your customers
Make it obvious within seconds the benefits you are offering your customers. If you are an expert in your niche (and I know you are!) how will this benefit your customer? Tell your customers what buying from you will bring to their lives. (Instead of trying to convince them how talented and different you are)
Website mistake #4–Too many mixed messages
Make it obvious what they are supposed to do on your website! Should they buy? Should they contact you? Should they subscribe to your email list? Remember WHY you have a website–what is it’s purpose? Also keep them on ONE site. You might have several specialties under your brand so keeping your customers in one place will keep that brand strong.
Website mistake #5–No calls to action
Create a call to action in at least 5 places on your website. A call to action is you telling your customer what to do next! Your call to action might be to buy, contact, or opt-in to your email list. My favorite call to action is to get readers on an email list. That is a whole topic in itself! But for today I will give you these 3 opt-in tips: Offer up some incentive for signing up, don’t call it a “newsletter”, and only create VALUABLE content for that email list.
Website mistake #6–Believe website traffic drives itself
You might be updating frequently, and posting new blog articles to your Facebook and Twitter but when you Google your business name where are you ranked? You should be #1! The other side of creating good traffic drive is to include keywords throughout your ENTIRE website. Choose 5-10 keywords about what your specifically do and plug them into your posts and page content. This is key!
Website mistake #7–Can’t reach you!
Make it simple and easy to get a hold of you! Most customers will want to email–this is the world we live in! Don’t just list your email because then your customer has to do 2 things: copy and paste it OR they will click it and it may open in their computer email they aren’t using. Offer a contact page where customers can easily input a message that drops right into your email where you can write them back. And make sure you write them back!
I think you will create an AWESOME website because it will infused with YOU–but remember it is really about your customers!
Andrea
Timothy here!
I have been selling on Etsy since 2007. (my shop!) The day I started my shop I had my own domain (my site)but never sold items on it. It is mainly just a gallery to show off my work then point people to my Etsy shop. I have been on the search for the perfect platform to start selling my metal work on my own domain, but I have never found the right platform with the right mix of options to supplement my Etsy shop. About a month ago I received an email from the founders of Indiemade.com letting me know about their site and what they had to offer. I checked out all the options, features ,and pricing, and to my surprise they offered everything I had been looking for.
Here are just a few features that really stood out to me. Things I have been looking for!
- Founders that came from a handmade / design background (understands the handmade community)
- Extremely affordable pricing (1/5 of my Etsy monthly bill)
- Very good clean design (multiple designs and design flexibility)
- Easy Checkout system with no login required
- Etsy product import (huge time saver)
- Integrated blog
- Easy to use contact page
- Great SEO
- Social media connections and promoting
- Reports ( sales, coupons, products, customer)
- Analytics
There are a ton more features that Indiemade offers. Check out this article and learn more!
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Andrea, thank you for such a helpful article. In your 3 opt-in tips (under mistake #5) you said not to call it a newsletter. Any suggestions as to what we should call it?
Great article! Bookmark.
Thanks for the advice!
Thanks for this article…perfect timing! I’m just starting my own website, so having these pointers is helpful for making sure I’m doing it right from the beginning.
Thanks for the helpful tips! I am *eternally* working on my website and these tips offer some useful means to evaluate my work so far
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve got my own website, but one of the hardest things for me is keeping up with the blogging.
Great article! I’m bookmarking because I have A LOT of work to do! Want to get through my Mother’s Day rush and then my summer project will be getting my website in top shape! Thank you for the great pointers!
Great thinks to consider Andrea, thanks!
I’m in the process of setting my website up right now and I will definitely consider all of these
Really good advice in a straightforward short format. Will institute shortly. THANK YOU, Andrea!
And thanks Tim for the link to indiemade.com. Will create a website there shortly, as well.
I really like and resonate with this article; thanks so much! Great ideas and tips, and I really need to implement this on Etsy, not just a newsletter or website. And since we’re not to call it a newsletter, what do we call it?
As soon as I read the title I cringed. Then I saw myself in #1. It’s on my list, but I need to make it a priority! Thanks for the push!