Getting ready to launch your company website? Well before you do, it may be a good idea to give it a once over to make sure you haven't left anything out. All too often, new business owners get caught up in the idea of having a company website, without first considering the various aspects that should go into developing one. Don't take it personal, there is certainly nothing wrong with creating your own website, and human error does occur. However, your website acts as your "virtual business card".
So ask yourself, if you were to receive a business card that was crowded with information, difficult to read, or that lacked key contact information, would you be willing to do business with that person?
Chances are your answer to the above question was no. No one wants to do business with someone who can't even get the basic branding of their business down packed. After all, this is your business, your reputation, and your brand. If you can't pay close attention to those things, you'll be sorry to find out that there is another businesswoman out there who has (who can essentially take your target consumers away from you).
So what's the big scoop? You already know the basic tips on creating a website, what more could there possibly be for you to learn? In this post, rather than discuss the things you should be doing, we'll go over the things you don't want to do.
- Choosing a Cheap Yet Inadequate Web Host
Who you choose as a web host can have a huge impact on your website as a whole. The web host is essentially supposed to provide you with the platform you need to design your web page. All too often people select free or extremely cheap web hosting companies without realizing, "You get what you pay for". Not to say that all free and cheap web hosting offers are a bad idea, simply that you need to do research that goes beyond the cost of the subscription. Bad web hosting could lead to things like:
- Slow processing times
- Long periods of down time
- Tons of advertisements and pop ups
Each of these factors could really deter your visitors from wanting to do business with you. So please ladies… don't choose based on price along.
- Adding Too Much Content
Sure, content is the key to getting your target audience interested in what you have to offer, but adding too much can bore the heck out of them. If a customer has to read through pages of information before they can get to the gist of your website, they're probably going to exit out and never come back. Not only does adding too much content bore the customers and cause them to leave your website, but it can also cause your web page to run extremely slow. Slow load times and tons of graphics can give your visitors a headache to say the least, which could turn into bad publicity before you even get started.
- Haphazardly Creating a Site
It's understandable that you may not have the necessary funds to hire a professional web developer or IT professional to help in the creation of your website, but if you're going to create the website on your own, it is important to educate yourself. All too often new business owners and entrepreneurs simply publish their websites without having the slightest idea what features needs to be included and/or excluded. Again ladies, your website is a representation of you, and if you don't put your best foot forward, this will ultimately be the impression you give off to website visitors.
Therefore, you should really take the time to educate yourself on web design. Consider taking web design courses online, or even reading information from a reputable source before getting started.
Think you're ready to launch your website? Well before you jump off the ledge, it is a good idea to get a second opinion from someone who has created a quality website. Getting input from outside sources is a great way to make sure you haven't made the mistakes listed above, and that your site will provide a glimpse into what you have to offer. Once you've done this, you're ready to introduce your company to the world.
