Evaluate your website – The five big don’ts!
As 2009 comes to a close take some time to evaluate your web site. Is your site helping your business to grow? Are you participating in any social media that will help increase your web traffic? Are you avoiding the basic web no-no’s? Did you start with a business development plan in mind when you started your site? (Goals)
Website No-No’s
1. Music or sounds that automatically load when someone visits your site. Sound should be used very sparingly on a web site. Misuse of this is sure to drive people away.
2. Make certain all browsers can view your site. Internet Explorer is not the only browser used on the web 80% of Mac users do not use Internet Explorer. If you are trying to draw a demographic of 24-38yrs this is important. View your site in all browsers and review how it downloads and error messages. Download these other browsers and take a look at your site. (Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome)
3. Automatic pop up ads – just don’t do it. No one likes it – this is a huge turn off.
4. Unclear navigation. I was on a site the other day for a company that promotes family events and it made me dizzy trying to figure out what was a web link and when I did click something it was not what I wanted. Keep it simple! The fewer places I have to click the better.
5. Blogs that have not been updated for five months – if you cannot post something once a month then don’t have a blog – use an e-newletter that is quarterly instead.
The process of website design however, is the actual designing of the website including the layout, the look and feel as well as how that website needs to interact with the site's visitors. By planning out your website development first, you will make the website design an easier process to perform because you will be able to leave room for those potential add-ons later on in the life of the website.
This is the perfect time of year to evaluate your site and make a new plan for improvement for 2010. If you would like a free 30 minute site consultation email me today connie@iconnie.com I can help you with the development strategy.
