My Website Isn’t Getting the Results I Wanted for My Business

To be a successful business nowadays, you need to run more than a busy brick-and-mortar office or storefront. Your online presence, from an engaging website to a personable social media feed, is just as important to generating new sales or gaining new clients. Of course, you already know this, which is why you have put some time and effort into building your business website.

There is nothing quite as frustrating as spending all that time and money on a website to then have it disappoint you in the short or long term. Here’s the good news, though: websites are adjustable and you can mold the content and design to suit your business moving forward. However, in order to fix the problems with your website and maximize its performance, you must know the reasons why it is failing.

Here are a few common reasons why business websites don’t live up to the expectations of owners.

You Built a Website to Meet a Different Goal

If you are hoping to increase client engagement, you must build a website that helps you meet that goal. Unfortunately, many business owners start building a website before they nail down their goals, which means the finished product often doesn’t give them the outcome they anticipated.

The bottom line? A website built without clear goals and outcomes in mind will never be as effective as it could be.

You Don’t Know Your Audience

The audience you are catering to online might be quite different than the audience you are reaching with print campaigns or while out networking. Unfortunately, many business owners build a website without knowing their target personas or by targeting the incorrect audience altogether.

Remember, your ideal customers are not always the same as your existing customers and that is okay. Your website must speak to the correct audience in order to maximize engagement and turn browsers into customers.

Your Website is Confusing

Have you ever been on a website that is downright difficult to navigate? It’s frustrating and often causes you to just click out of it before you spend any more time trying to find what you are looking for. Internet browsers are fickle, and any website that is confusing or makes navigation difficult will never get meaningful traffic.

Your website can be confusing if it:

• Contains missing links
• Buries your business mission and contact information
• Doesn’t have call to action buttons or other “easy-click” navigation systems

Your Content Is Boring or Nonexistent

Finally, customers will not necessarily engage with your business on the first visit to your site. It can take multiple “touches” in order for them to finally pick up the phone or send you an email to inquire about services or products. If you don’t give them a reason to continue returning for your expertise, you are decreasing the chances of converting them to a sale.

Your content is key for bringing browsers back again. Successful websites have content that is easy to read and interesting. Make sure your content is fresh and you are putting out well-thought-out pieces consistently.

Your Next Steps

If your website isn’t giving you the results you hoped for, it’s time to sit down and think about why. Begin by quantifying the goals and outcomes for your website before planning more about the components and design. Fleshing out a comprehensive scope of work can be helpful for you and your design team, whether you use an in-house team or a freelancer.

It is well worth the effort to create a scope of work that will make your new website more successful for your business and for your potential customers. Further, the actual project will run more smoothly and efficiently.