Podcast: 5 Reasons Why Your Website Isn't Getting Results
So I’ve heard it before from so many people. They do all this work putting together a website, maybe on a platform like Squarespace, Wix, or Weebly, thinking they’re going to have sales and inquiries knocking down the door—without doing any research or getting a web designer, but they end up hearing nothing…it’s literally crickets. And then once I take a look at their websites, there are red flags all over that show why the website isn’t getting the results the want. There are typically 5 main reasons behind all this.
As a Web Designer, I believe websites should be designed strategically. When you randomly place items on your website without a strategy in mind, you won’t see the results you’re looking for. Sooo…let’s get into it! Here are 5 reasons why your website isn’t getting the results you want, along with ways to make improvements.
There aren’t repetitive calls-to-action.
You need clear, repetitive calls to action on your website. People typically have to see a certain call-to-action multiple times before following it. A call-to-action is basically just the action that you want a visitor to take once they land on your website. Typically, this could be signing up for your email list, inquiring about your services, checking out your products/services, etc. I have several examples on my website. On the homepage banner, you immediately see the bright pink button inviting you to my free resource library. Then as you scroll down the page, there’s a pop up inviting you to my free branding course. And I have additional info to help with each of my blog posts that you can join my email list for. This helps give people various options, so there’s something appealing to everyone.
For your website, you should start with at least 2-3 different incentives for people to join your email list and have them prominent in many places on your site. If you have an online store and your incentive is a coupon off the first order, maybe you have it first appear as a pop up on the home page and you list it again on the announcement bar. Whatever you do, showcase it multiple times to give people more chances to get it. The same goes for if you offer services and you want inquiries on it. Include a link to the services page on your home page, your about page, and even relevant blog posts—don’t limit it to just your services page.
The photography is low quality.
Photos are what catch the eye before people even start reading. I know it sound shallow, but people are visual. Your photos have to be on point before people even start reading what you have to say.
Make sure you invest have high quality photography. High quality photography is crisp, well-lit, and on brand. When I say on brand, I mean that if your brand is bright and colorful like mine, for example, you won’t choose dark and moody photos. That wouldn’t fit. Also, please avoid using blurry cell phone selfies on your “about” page. When your photos are low quality, the website is instantly perceived as unprofessional. Even if you can’t get the most high end photographer right away, there are many affordable photographers who can do some quick headshots or brand photos for you to start out. Typically, blog photographers are pretty affordable or you could get your own DSLR camera and learn how to take photos yourself. The Cannon EOS Rebel T6 is a great camera to start with.
The webpages are too cluttered.
Sometimes people think that the more info they offer people, the more helpful they’re being to their audience. However, if your layout is too full and cluttered, that’s a problem. If you give people too much to click on, they’ll get overwhelmed and not know what to do. And from the technical aspect, it’ll make your web pages take too long to load. No one has time to wait for that little blue circle to stop spinning after 3-5 minutes.
Keep your layout as simple and clean as possible. Only provide people with the most relevant need-to-know information so they understand exactly what to click on. Make a list of that information and rank it from most to least important, so you can strategically lay out your website, leading people through an intentional, and easy-to-navigate user experience.
There isn’t any information about who you are and what makes you unique.
You don’t want to be overly mysterious in today’s world. The personal brand is where it’s at. People want to know more about you, who you are, why you got into the area you’re in, and what your interests are. You can easily do this by including what makes you different on your website, like in your about section. This really helps you make a good first impression quickly and it helps your audience to connect with you. If it fits with your brand, put a silly or unique picture of you traveling or doing something you enjoy on within your website. People are instantly intrigued when they can find a commonality between themselves and the person who they’re checking out online.
There was no intentional brand design done for the website.
And last but not least, quality brand design can completely elevate your image online. You want to have cohesive fonts, colors, and photography that all support who you are, what you do, and who you serve. When you have too many fonts or badly selected fonts, and colors that don’t work well together, it shows. It can make your brand look amateur and low budget real quick. I’ve seen some people who just naturally have a good eye for design who are able to create their own brand design without help, but most people need help, whether it’s in the form of an online course to guide them through doing it themselves (I’m releasing one of those soon!) or in the form of hiring a web designer to execute their brand vision for them. Be sure to do some research on brand design so you can learn what works and so you can craft a cohesive image that works for you.
So of course, I can help you with all these things with my web design services. If you have questions about what I offer, you can email me at hello@keshiamwhite.com.
I also included a link below to my free branding course. It’ll help you to get a jumpstart on creating beautiful, cohesive branding for your business.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and share it with a friend! Thank you for listening.
