9 Reasons Why Websites Fail and How to Fix it
There are many reasons why websites fail to attract new visitors and turn them into paying customers, but it can easily be fixed.
Many business owners think that having a website will instantly draw a steady stream of new customers, ready to buy their products. However, the reality is that having a website waiting to be unearthed just isn’t enough. You have to help your customers easily find it and give them a good experience.
Here are the top 9 reasons why websites fail and how to fix it.
1. Not Optimised For Mobile Devices
Towards the end of 2016, the number of people viewing websites on their mobile devices surpassed people viewing a website on a desktop. That’s nearly four years ago! If your website is not optimised for mobile devices (known as responsive) then it’s time you updated and quick.
Websites not optimised for mobile devices will appear small, look broken and dated. Mobile optimised websites are the standard now and visitors don’t want to waste time resizing pages, searching for the menu, trying to tap links and generally getting frustrated.
How to Fix it
If your website isn’t optimised for mobile devices most likely it’s looking old, tired and is due a redesign.
If you’re getting a new website built, make sure it’s going to be optimised for mobile devices and works on a variety of screen sizes. A good web design agency will offer this as standard, if they don’t, then you need to run a mile.
2. Poor Website Design
A major reason why websites fail is poor website design. A poor design will not win your business any points when customers are comparing your website with a competitor’s. The design of your site should match your business message and branding, be pleasing to look at without obstructing information, and have a clear call to action e.g. “call today”, “complete the form”.
If your website looks out of date and doesn’t match your brand, customers will think your products or services are out of date and will favour your competitor.
How to Fix it
You don’t have to follow a design trend or have a fully animated website but you need to make sure your website connects with your target audience. Take a look at what your competitors are doing and see how you can do it better.
3. Using Unqualified Professionals
If professionals don’t build your website you could be getting a bad deal. Cheap websites usually don’t result in the best solution for your business and after a couple of months since going live, you’ll realise your mistake.
Someone can always do it cheaper, you probably know this from your own industry. But what do you think about businesses offering rock bottom services? You know they are cutting corners or not going to give a great service, and what about the after-service?
If you’re serious about your business and want to be taken seriously then you should get your website built by professionals. By professionals, I’m referring to an agency or a seasoned freelancer, not a bedroom coder or a friends nephew.
Using a professional will give your website project its best start. The design will be spot on and it will be built with technical SEO from the beginning. By doing this you can reduce the amount of work in the future if you want to invest in digital marketing.
How to Fix it
You want your overall design to be modern, align with your business goals, connect with your audience and have a clear call to action.
Before you invest in a new website check that the web design agency has the relevant experience and good customer testimonials from previous work.
4. Not Optimised For Google
Even the most beautifully designed website can fail if it’s not been optimised for search. Your customers will begin their buying process with a search on Google. If your website can’t be easily found then it’s never going to receive any visitors.
If your website is mobile-friendly and has a good design with a clear call to action, there should be nothing holding you back from turning your visitors into customers, especially if your website appears before your competitor’s in Google.
How to Fix it
If you want to rank higher than your competitors on Google you need to optimise your website. Investing time in SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is needed to achieve this.
To optimise your website you need to check all the basic SEO practices are in places and you’re using a mixture of short and long tail keywords in the correct places.
5. Not Promoting Your Website
One of the main reasons why websites fail is due to a lack of promotion (digital marketing). Once your website is live you need to attract and drive visitors to it. This can be achieved through the following marketing channels;
- Organic visitors from Google
- Social media
- Paid social advertising (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube)
- Pay-Per-Click advertising (Google Ads)
- Email campaigns
If you’re not actively marketing your website your business is not going to reach its full potential. A website can work wonders for your business if it’s marketed properly and will increase your customer enquiries and sales.
How to Fix it
You don’t have to use all of the channels mentioned above but you need to find the best strategy for your business and identify your target audience. Gaining visitors from Google (organic search) is always a solid strategy because it’s free traffic and it’s where your customers start their buying process.
6. Slow Loading Website
A slow loading website is a definite website fail. If your website is too slow to load it will frustrate visitors causing them to leave. You only have 3–4 seconds to grab your visitor’s attention making your page load speed a priority.
The following can be the reasons for a slow loading website;
- Not optimised for mobile devices
- Browser cache not configured
- Images are not optimised
- Files are not compressed
- Slow hosting server
How to Fix it
Running a speed test on GT Metrix and Pingdom will identify any issues relating to website loading times. You can then work through the suggestions to make your website lightning quick.
7. No Call to Action
Your website should prompt visitors to do something. Whether that’s to buy a product, fill in a form or pick up the phone. A clear and obvious call to action will help your visitors complete your goal.
Calls to action can be a button linking to a form, a phone number in bold text or a large promotional image with text. If there isn’t a clear call to action your visitors won’t know what you want them to do.
How to Fix it
You need to identify what you want your customers to do and include it on all of your web pages. Focus on one call to action per page to limit the choices for visitors and increase your conversions.
8. Broken Links & Pages
A broken website is an instant fail. If your visitors can’t access the information they are looking for or your contact form, links and images aren’t working, you’re not going to turn visitors into customers.
Common causes for broken links and pages are CMS updates, human error and moving pages, but it’s easily fixable.
How to Fix it
It’s essential to monitor and maintain your website once it’s up and running. Links within content can be fixed by changing the URL and if pages are moved or unpublished you can create a 301 redirect.
9. Poor Menu & Structure
Check that you can navigate around your website with ease. The menu should be uncluttered, simple to use, and clearly identify the key pages. If your website is full of sub-menus, side menus and dead ends, your visitors can quickly become lost and leave your website.
Mobile navigation should be a top priority. With more people accessing websites via mobile devices it’s essential to have good mobile navigation for large fingers.
How to Fix it
Before you commit to a new design, ensure you know what content you need on your website. Knowing the page content at an early stage will make it easier to create a website structure that flows and a clear menu.
What Next?
Now you know the reasons why websites fail, it’s time to turn it around. If your website is underperforming and you want to attract more visitors and turn them into customers, we can help.
Email us or call Mechanised on 0161 791 0100 to discuss your web design and digital marketing options.
