Three Common Web Design Mistakes Small Businesses Make (And How to Avoid Them)

According to the latest estimations, there are approximately 4.3 billion websites on the Internet, although even web geniuses have fessed up that it’s actually not possible to gauge the exact number. You have to figure that a large portion of these sites are spam-related content farms filed with inconsequential scribbling, but that still leaves an entire terrain filled with active, consistently updated pages churning out redesigns at regular intervals. If you’re a small business looking to break into that scene, you’re up against some serious competition.

What do you even focus on when you’re creating a professional website? To find out, you could find what website promotion tips the professionals recommend, but again, every site is different because every audience is different. What works to find a veterinarian’s potential client base is not necessarily going to work when looking for a shoe store’s client base.

But if there’s one thing the web has shown, it’s that there are a few things that really do work across the board. And by the same token, there are a few things that really don’t work across the board, too. Consider this your top-three don’ts list of website building tips.

3. Designing to ride the wave of a trend instead of for your audience.

Everyone is tempted to be trendy, but listen to pop songs released in the 1980s. Do they still sound fresh and exciting today? Of course not. They’re littered with synthesizers and other fashionable sounds of the day. Accordingly, websites that are started up today need to focus their content on the people they’re going after, not the trends that are happening in the web design world around them.

2. Omitting a clear, concise, creative call to action.

Read all the website building tips you want. If your site isn’t rousing your clients to do something, then you’re doing it completely wrong. If you’re selling a service, provide contact info about how to follow through. If you’re selling a product, make the “BUY” button large and easy-to-see, but never kitschy or overly infomercial-esque. Most importantly, keep your contact info where your users can find it.

1. Never updating your content, effectively letting it die.

A rolling stone gathers no moss, but a static website gathers no visitors. You need to be consistently updating both what you’re saying and how you’re saying it so your users will understand exactly how you’re on the ball, so to speak, when it comes to staying ahead in the marketplace. Stale content won’t bring any new users in, so be dynamic with your creation. It’s the only way to ensure you don’t get left behind.

Now that you know what not to do, figure out your own website building tips that work best for your company. Then, it’s all about sticking to them. It’s the quickest way to success. Find out more here.