Very often, I get asked by small business owners why they need a website, and my answer is very simple, “because it is a great way to generate sales leads.”
Here’s a scenario. Recently, a friend asked me to advise a friend of hers – a small business owner – how she might create some online presence. The background to the meeting; the small business owner had met a potential client abroad but they phoned her to say they couldn’t do business with her because there was no information online suggesting that she was the CEO and owner of her business.
Here’s the thing, the small business owner, had no LinkedIn or Facebook accounts. She had a website in which she wasn’t featured and the website had no contact information. Her reason? She’s a very private person. For being too private, she lost business!
I can understand not wanting to put out too much personal information on Facebook or Instagram because you are private, however, in today’s connected world, an online presence is an asset.
After establishing why every small business needs a website, here are some mistakes you must avoid making with your website to ensure that you do not lose business.
A website not optimised for search
I was also recently contacted by another friend seeking to hire an advertising agency. I recommended a few who were top of mind but in seeking to find their contact information we decided to do a Google search and weren’t very pleased with some of the results. As at the time of writing this article, a Google search for advertising agencies in Nigeria displayed Alternative Adverts Ltd, ContentMarketer Ltd and Dash Street in the top three spots.
Imagine that I was the chief marketing officer of a multinational searching for an advertising agency to work with when we launch our service in Nigeria. Based on these Google search results, I would immediately contact Alternative Adverts – which seems to be a digital agency. This is good for the above-mentioned agency but not so for the big advertising agencies because I had to expand the search results before I spotted some of them.
This website mistake can be fixed using Search engine optimisation (SEO), a scary phrase for many small businesses in Nigeria. However, it is simply about being associated with keywords related to your line business or industry in various search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing to increase your visibility. The goal is to occupy the top slots when results are displayed because websites which do, receive the most clicks. Websites on the first page of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) are also considered more trustworthy.
The Oops page
When a prospect finds your website on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and clicks through to your website, you do not want them to get this result. More so, whilst looking for further information on the website, especially for a first-time visitor. Your website is your online presence, and you know what they say about first impressions – ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression.’ If the website is under construction or being updated, it is good to have a placeholder that says so.
Unreachable contacts
One of the most costly website mistakes is listing an inactive phone number or email address such as info@xyz.com. It is an absolute NO! After a visitor has found your company online, they may want to send you an email or call you. You might have missed a business opportunity if the email bounces back or the call cannot connect.
A website not optimised for mobile
With smartphones playing a very active role in the lives of business executives, there is every likelihood that a prospective client can search for your business using his/ her mobile device. It is therefore important for your website to be optimised for mobile.
Optimising your website for mobile means that you have developed a version to fit the screen of a mobile phone or tablet without the user having to scroll from one end to the other to get a full view of information. Also, because web pages tend to load slower on mobile, mobile optimisation takes care of site speed to ensure that visitors are not turned off.
A website that’s difficult to navigate
Speaking of visitors getting turned off, a website that is difficult to navigate can be a turn-off. Make it easy for your visitors to access the information they are seeking without having to click through several other pages.
No search button
This is one of the less serious website mistakes. It is negligible for some businesses but critical for an e-commerce business. It is also related to the previous one. We hear time and time again that Internet users have a short attention span. It is true. Online customers are finicky. They know what they are looking for and want to find it quickly. If there is no search button on your website to help them find it quickly, chances are they will go elsewhere.
