by Stacy Kleber Jensen | Featured Contributor
January always signals a kind of fresh start – a chance to reflect on what went well the year before, and what could potentially be done better. Mostly, we apply this to our personal lives – but why don’t we do the same for our business, our brand and our website?
This January, take some time to reflect on these five common website mistakes that may be inhibiting you from reaching your full potential and converting visitors to clients.
Mistake 1: Hiding your contact info.
The average person browsing your site likely spends somewhere between 10 seconds to a minute looking at your content. In this time, you want to make the contact info easy to find. I’m not saying it needs to be everywhere, but don’t hide it.
The first place people will look for your contact info is in the top right corner. If your site scrolls down at length, and you can no longer see the contact info at the top, consider repeating it again at the bottom.
Make sure that sending you an email is easy and accessible. If a client can’t figure out how to get in touch with you, they will go spend their 10-60 seconds elsewhere.
Mistake 2: Inconsistent branding.
Successful brands are consistent in their look and feel in every platform. Make sure the logo on your site is the most recent, and that it matches your print materials, your social media channels, etc. This makes you readily identifiable. People will know they came to the right place the minute they enter your site.
Inconsistency and confusion can lead to a subconscious distrust of a brand. People instinctively gravitate towards brands that they feel they can trust, so do what you can to help them recognize you as a brand they can rely on.
Mistake 3: Excessive load time.
As trends start to drift toward large images and video running in the background of websites, load times are becoming more and more difficult to reign in.
We live in an era where people are less patient with waiting, therefore you need to make sure you optimize your site load time as much as possible. In this area, mere seconds may make the difference between someone viewing your site or leaving before it loads.
Make sure your photos are appropriate website resolution (72 dpi) and keep them no larger than necessary to ensure a crisp image with a fast load time.
Mistake 4: Outdated content.
Though some content is classic and can be used for extended periods of time, the beginning of the year is a good time to review your website content to ensure that there is nothing on the site that is glaringly outdated. Easily identifiable outdated content may make a customer question whether or not the business is still up and running.
To be successful, put new posts on that blog, make sure your pictures are current and check for any references to projects and dates that are obviously more than a few months old.
Mistake 5: Ignoring mobile.
More people are viewing websites on their mobile phones than ever before. If you haven’t updated your website to make it responsive yet, now is the time.
Responsive sites have a higher conversion rate on a mobile device than desktop sites, because their elements are easier to read, easier to find and easier to navigate. The more efficient you make your site, the more time people will spend on it.
Though updating from a desktop-only site to a responsive site can be costly, it is an investment that will take you well into the future.
In conclusion
Hopefully, reviewing your site for these five common mistakes will help you refresh your site for business in the new year. By keeping your contact info readily available, making sure your branding is consistent, cutting down on your load time, keeping your content up to date and being mindful of mobile, you can make sure your website is customer friendly.
Let’s turn those visitors into customers today.
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Stacy Kleber Jensen (Washington, DC) – Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the graphic design studio, Stacy Kleber Design, LLC
Stacy Kleber Jensen is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Stacy Kleber Design, LLC (www.skleber.com). She is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a BFA in Visual Communications and a concentration in Graphic Design. Stacy is currently attending the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School to obtain a Masters of Science in Marketing.
Stacy founded her graphic design studio, Stacy Kleber Design, LLC, in 2008. Since its humble beginnings, Stacy Kleber Design, LLC has grown to specialize in branding and design for growing businesses and start-ups. Projects range from logo design and business collateral (business cards, stationery, etc) to websites and social media assistance. The greatest part of owning Stacy Kleber Design, LLC is helping businesses to establish their brand and their identity as a company, as well as find their voice in an ever changing digital world.
Notable clients include ASRC Federal Holding Corporation, Marriott OceanWatch Villas, Myrtle Beach International Airport, Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Please connect with Stacy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
