Ten Reasons Why Your Website Is Failing You

We hate to break the news to you, but word-of-mouth marketing just isn't cutting it in the digital age. To remain competitive, it is imperative that you maintain an online presence; having a website is vital for any business. In fact, according to a study conducted by Forrester Research, online sales are expected to reach $523 billion (yes, that's BILLION, with a B) by 2020 in the U.S. alone! Given this hefty statistic, we're going to go ahead and assume you, the business-savvy entrepreneur that you are, already have your website up and running; but is it doing what you need it to do? If your website isn't bringing you the sales or the business you need to stay competitive, then there are a few things you just might be doing wrong.

• 1. Your content is a mess

  The content you have on your site is often the first, and sometimes the only, contact your customers have with you, so it must be clear, concise, engaging, information-rich, and easy to follow. It should also be up-to-date and relevant to both your product AND your target customers.

• 2. Your design misrepresents your brand

  Unless you're selling rainbow-themed school supplies, there's no reason your website should look like the front of a Lisa Frank notebook. Your site needs to be simple, well-organized, and easy to navigate through. Have you ever walked into a huge building that had no signs anywhere, and you had no idea how to get to where you needed to be? Overwhelming, right? Helpful tip: your website shouldn't be like this.

• 3. You're not utilizing search engine optimization (SEO)

  Taking the time to learn how SEO works and what makes good SEO content is going to help your page grow by leaps and bounds. If search engines have no idea what your page or site is about, they can't rank and display it in searches for your customers.

• 4. You have no calls to action (CTA)

  What good is content if you're not set up to deliver it? CTA's offer your customers ways to engage with you, and more importantly--it provides them with a convenient way to BUY from you. When combined with engaging content, a good CTA will help your visitors learn why they need your product and it offers them a quick and easy way to get it.

• 5. There's no social media usage

  Like it or not, social media has become the primary form of communication in today's world. If you're not tweeting, posting, snapping, or pinning, you're essentially missing the opportunity to reach new customers. Sharing newsletters, blog posts, press releases, and promotions on social media is a great approach to increasing traffic to your website.

• 6. It's not optimized for multiple platforms

  Everything is go-go-go these days, and more and more people are reading your content on their phones or tablets. Because of this, Google will actually punish you if your site isn't mobile-responsive! Keep your search ratings high and your customers happy — make sure your website is mobile-responsive.

• 7. You don't have a blog

  Blogs are a wonderful way to share important information with your customers. It's also an excellent way to stay relevant by posting about current events that pertain to your company, your customers, and your industry. Sharing information-rich content keeps your customers engaged while bringing in potential visitors who found that post informative.

• 8. You're not analyzing your site

  Using analytic sites and software might seem like a pain, but it's incredibly important in helping you manage your site. Knowing what content returns the most traffic will help you tailor your content to customer interest. Google provides an excellent platform for tracking this important information--and not only is it easy to use, but it's also free!

• 9. There are too many technical issues or bugs

  . Glitches and bugs happen; it's an unfortunate side effect of technology. If you're not doing something about fixing yours, your customers are going to become irritated and leave--potentially resulting in a poor review and lost business. If your website is not user-friendly, hire a programmer! Your bottom line depends on it.

• 10. You expect instant results

  Perfecting your online presence is a process; it's not going to happen overnight. You need time, dedication, and patience to help your website grow and get the traffic you desire. It's a lot like working out--you can't do ten sit-ups and expect to suddenly have washboard abs--you have to maintain. Don't give up; keep working on it!

Bottom Line: If you want to stay competitive in today's world, maintaining a clean, user-friendly, and information-rich website is of paramount importance. If you keep the above pointers in mind, you will have a great website AND a great user experience for your current and future customers.