Avoid Common Website Mistakes

Odds are the website mistakes you make are also made by others, so we interviewed two experts on Internet marketing and website optimization - Steven Schneiderman of Schneiderman Marketing, LLC and Matt Bailey of SiteLogic. Here's what they said.

Mistake #1: Let Design Overshadow SEO

The #1 objective is to design the site so your target audience can quickly and easily find your site, locate what they want in your site, and quickly and easily purchase, subscribe, etc. So the site must first be built for this purpose. The "look" should be addressed once SEO (search engine optimization), functionality and user-friendliness are secured.

Mistake #2: Use Your Own Lingo

Your website mission is to set up your site so people searching for things you offer will quickly and easily find you (i.e., your site). It begins when people think about what they want and then type their words into a search engine such as Google. So you better set up your site to respond to the words that searchers use (i.e., type into a Web browser). Refer to your products or services (on your site) as something other than what searchers use, and your customers will never find you.

Mistake #3: No Website Strategy

What is it you want to accomplish with your site? Visitors don't really do anything for you. You want sales. Or information that will help you get sales. Visitors who come and go without buying something or giving you information you can use in the future do nothing for you.

Mistake #4: Confusing Site Navigation

You should spend extra time organizing your content into a logical and intuitive structure. The primary navigation is usually found at the top or to the side of the content and should outline the 4 to 10 main sections of your site. The secondary navigation will include contact information, "about us," copyright and privacy policy, and is always found at the bottom of the page. The navigation should be the same on every page.

Mistake #5: No Lead Capture

Every website should capture, at a minimum, the first name and email address of as many visitors as possible. The reason is you need a prospect list. A mail list for future marketing efforts. Building yours should be among the most important focuses of your website.

Mistake #6: Poor Type Treatment

If you have to squint, the type is too small. And too many different typefaces can make it challenging to read. Stick to one type family (e.g., Times Roman, Arial) and use 10 - 12 points for the body text and 18 - 24 bold for headlines and section titles.

Copyright © 2009 by D.L. Perkins, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction, in any form, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission from an officer of D.L. Perkins, LLC. Issn. No. 1556-2026. Vol. 5, No. 5