When someone lands on your website, what is the first thing they think of? Hopefully, it’s “Wow! These guys look great! I’m going to use their services for sure!” But is that what they’re really thinking? Is your website representing you the way it should, or is it chasing potential customers away?

Your website is an important asset to your business, and you need to make sure it is doing what you want it to: showing you at your best angle and garnering positive interest from visitors. So how do you know what your website is saying about you? Here are some examples of what it MIGHT be saying… and how to fix it.

Ever wonder what the world’s worst website looks like? Wonder no more: 
www.theworldsworstwebsiteever.com

“I have no sense of organization.”

If you’ve ever visited a website, and upon arriving, had NO idea what you were supposed to be looking at or clicking on, you know what we’re talking about when we say “no sense of organization”. Just as you organize files, invoices, or piles of clean laundry, you need to organize your website. When a visitor arrives, they should immediately know what your business does and where to click next depending on their needs.

Having too much information crammed into the homepage makes it hard to understand or navigate. If you have a website for your pet supply business, you don’t need to list every single type of pet and pet product that you sell on your homepage… Let visitors know you are a pet product supplier with variety, then let them click the appropriate menu item to narrow down the information.

“I wanted a website, but I didn’t care enough to get a nice one.” Also, “I’m cheap.”

Of course we are all on a budget and don’t want to spend unnecessary amounts of money on anything. However, your website is important, and having a GOOD LOOKING website doesn’t have to bankrupt you. If you had the choice between the nice new store on the corner, or the store down the road that is falling down around itself because no one cared to pay for repairs, you would most likely choose the nice store. Why? Because you know the owner cares enough about their own business, which means they care about their customers as well.

Ok, we know this one’s not in English, but you'll be able to see why it's bad. 
www.arngren.net

“I haven’t touched this thing in years.”

We all get busy, and sometimes we just don’t have time to update our website. However, you shouldn’t let it get TOO far behind. When you come across a website with information that is obviously several years old, you may wonder if the business is even open anymore, or if they are so technologically behind that they can’t update their site.

If you happen to be stuck in the situation where you have a website, but can’t update it unless you hire someone with a degree in web programming, you should seriously consider switching to a CMS (Content Management System). With a CMS, you can take control of your site and update it easily without knowing HTML or any other specialized skills. (Time for a shameless plug! We here at Bergey Creative Group have several great CMS options… give us a call: 215.256.4512)

“I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

Ah, yes… the website that screams, “Look I have a website but WHAT DO I DO WITH IT NOW?” Not everyone is super web savvy, but that’s what professionals are for. Make sure your website is created and setup by someone with good knowledge and skills to not only make it look pretty, but allow you to actually get good content in the site. If your website is sitting half finished, or looks like someone’s nephew took crack at it using Microsoft Paint, that looks bad to anyone who finds it.

“BUY BUY BUY!!”

Unless you enjoy pushy sales people when you go to the mall or shop for a car, you won’t enjoy a website that tries to shove products in your face either. Your website visitors really won’t like it, and chances are, they won’t come back. People usually want content and information before they will attempt a purchase, so you need to make sure your website offers information about your business and products, as well as easy access to the shopping area. Lead them to it gently, don’t push them!

One more really bad site example for you, just in case you haven’t had enough: 
msy.com.au

We could go on and on about different types of sites that aren’t particularly good, but we’ll stop here for now (maybe a part two in the future?). The main point we’re trying to make is that your business needs a site that is pleasing to the eye, easy to navigate, and keeps visitors engaged (as opposed to chasing them away).

If you need a website built or updated, we are here to help. We will happily take a look at what you have and what you need, and we can point you in the right direction for your business and budget. To start a conversation to discuss your website needs, call us at 215-256-4512 or use our contact form.