A company website is vital in generating new business, but many are failing to make the most of their online space. Here are seven common website mistakes that may be letting down your business.
Research has identified that most small business websites are flawed because they lack the capacity to generate new business or customers.
“Companies spend thousands of dollars engaging graphic designers to design attractive websites, but they don’t generate a single sale or help convert one customer,” Panorama Synergy chairman Aidan Montague said.
“If there’s no way of converting customers into a sale, there’s no point in having a website at all,” he added.
So what could be letting down your business website? According to Montague, the most common mistakes include:
1. No lead generation capability
2. Too much emphasis on fashion (at the expense of functionality)
3. Not building a list or database
4. No optimised selling system (OSS)
5. No unique selling proposition (USP)
6. Too much reliance on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) / free traffic
7. No adequate conversion measurement
“The most important aspect of any website is what is happening ‘behind the scenes’ to drive new business, rather than a fancy front page,” Montague said.
The aim is to turn infrequent browsing into confirmed leads and potential sales. To do this, businesses need to implement a structured system that will allow them to drive and convert online traffic.
“Businesses need to recognise the potential for online marketing and ensure they’re doing everything possible to increase business traffic via an effective website offering. If their websites don’t have a way to capture customer information, they’re losing sales. This is not about re-inventing the wheel – it’s about common business sense,” he added.
For more information on improving your site’s functionality, click here.