Eight Deadly Web Site Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Creating and maintaining an effective presence on the Web has become increasingly complex and challenging as the power of the Internet as a marketing tool becomes more and more necessary to entrepreneurs and emerging businesses.

The good news is that technologies that were only available to the big guys just a couple of years ago - audio, video, ecommerce, e-mail database management applications - are now affordable for almost everybody. The bad news is that the number of choices and opportunities can be confusing and overwhelming.

Here are my eight favorite tips to help you steer clear of some of the biggest mistakes I've seen people make when designing or re-designing their Web projects.

1. You begin without a marketing strategy.

Web sites, like brochures, newsletters, business cards, post cards and the like, are simply part of your marketing mix, not just something you build so you can say you have one.

Before you begin, you need to ask yourself important questions about your Web site strategy beginning with why you want a Web site in the first place.

a. What are your objectives? To educate? Motivate? Inform? Attract new business? Serve existing clients? Be perceived a certain way, such as compassionate or trendy?

b. Who is your target audience?

c. What do you want your visitors to discover and/or do when they log on to your site?

As the Cheshire cat explained to Alice - if you don't know where you're going, I can't tell you how to get there. So before you do anything else, make an Internet marketing plan for your site.

2. You have no Internet branding or inappropriate branding.

Once you know what your objectives are and have identified your target audience, your site needs to reflect that knowledge. A music site selling hip-hop to teens needs to look and feel a lot different from a health care site for seniors or a motorcycle site for guys that ride Harley Fat Boys.

A good brand should repel as strongly as it attracts. Once you get the positioning and Internet branding right, your site will sort out your potential clients from the online crowd.

3. You buy the wrong technology for your goals and objectives.

There are two big, broad categories of Web sites - one that you own and one that you rent. The "rental" model is a site offered by what is called an Application Service Provider or ASP. You usually will pay a set up fee and a monthly fee ranging from $59 way up to hundreds of dollars depending on the sophistication of the Web site application.

At the low end, you may see an ad for a "FREE WEB SITE." The company offers to build your site and then you "just pay" $59 per month- forever! With this

model the site itself never belongs to you, only your content. If you leave the provider, you can't take the site with you.

With the ownership model, you will hire a Web site designer, or do the work yourself, then pay an annual or monthly hosting fee - usually much smaller comparatively - and you own both the site and the content, which you can move to a different service provider if you wish.

4. You have no Internet marketing plan.

"We will build it and they will come," has not worked for a long, long time. Budget the money necessary to promote your site and meet your objectives, or wait until you can. It doesn't have to be a very expensive plan. But do something! There are way too many "secret Web sites" out there in cyberspace.

Start building your email database as soon as possible. Consider an eZine to keep you in front of your prospects on a regular basis. Offer a free report on your site. Put the offer on the back of your business card.

If you want to do more, work with a Search Engine Optimizer (SEO), who will make your site attractive to Google and Yahoo and other top search engines. You may also want to consider pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to get you to the top of the search engine listings.

5. You have no way to measure your site's effectiveness.

Remember that old saying: "If it's not broken; don't fix it?" Well you will need a way to know if your site is working for you or not. Make sure that your service provider offers site statistics, to let you know who is visiting, how often and if your traffic is growing.

Use an email sign-up form to build your database, and keep an eye on your progress. Track what works and what doesn't, and make changes as you get feedback.

6. Your technology doesn't match the target audience.

We've all had the experience of landing on a Web site, only to get a message saying that we don't have the right plug-in to view it. Sometimes the site designer has a link letting you know that since you are among the "great unwashed" without the "right" browser of technology, you must go download it to view the site. Don't expect that potential visitor to stick around!

Research your target audience to make sure your site considers their technology level. Don't use images that are too large to load in a reasonable amount of time if your users don't have a broadband connection, for example.

7. You let your users get lost in Cyberspace.

Your navigation system needs to be clear, and intuitive. Links should be in the same position on each page. There should always be a "home" button. Confusing navigation drives potential clients and users away.

8. You play hard to get.

Don't make it hard for your clients and prospects to communicate with you. Make sure your contact information is on every page and is easy to access. Let your visitors know what you want them to do, like: "Call me!" or "Sign Up for My E-EZine."

Marcia Torrey-Jay is the owner of Vision Quest Multimedia in Los Angeles, CA. Her company offers affordable, custom Web site design, Internet branding and online marketing services to small business owners, professionals, healers, artists, and other entrepreneurs.

Visit http://www.visionquest.tv to sign up for her free Web site development tips and tools eZine, Envision It!

---

The Web: Your Window of Opportunity

Thinking about starting up a business? The web is the... Read More

Successful Commercial Sites

Do you make your website just to entertain yourself or... Read More

Do This One Thing to Create a Powerful Product-Selling Web Site

Spend time planning your Web site. Before you design a... Read More

Beware the Software Siren

I've heard several prominent web marketers mention in their classes... Read More

Websites: You Get What You Pay For!

So you finally decided to invest in a web presence... Read More

Website Strategy!

A website lets you put your products in front of... Read More

A Network Of Web Sites Is Not Enough!

The big thing these days is your ability to capture... Read More

UK Online Shopping with an Edge, for Buyers and Sellers Alike

Any new website competing on the internet, needs to take... Read More

Autoresponders Make You Look Like A Pro

People like to get immediate responses to requests. Autoresponders are... Read More

Planning Your Website for Success

Most people know they need a website in order to... Read More

Why do I Need a Website?

Cost Effective Advertising. Online selling. Increased geopgraphic range. Wider... Read More

Pick Up Your Own Domain Name

Think up a name and check if yourname.com is available.... Read More

How to Listen on the Web

When building a relationship, listening is more important than talking.A... Read More

Five Reasons You Have to Stop Your Web Site

That's right. Your method, behavior and strategy you are now... Read More

Website Value - Whats Your Business Website Worth?

If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More

Why A Simple Counter is Never Enough for Your Website

A simple website stats counter is not enough if you... Read More

For Newer Sites, Web Marketing Depends On Titles & Links!

We all start out the same. Some have budgets, some... Read More

Ten Ways NOT to Set Up a Website-based Service Business

1. As the first step, "Hire a web designer."First create... Read More

12 Essential Tips to a Professional Business Website

1. Choose a big enough font size. A size 12... Read More

Why You Need a Website

You hear a great deal about the Internet these days... Read More

Revealing the Firefox Secret Used by Top Web Developers and Power-Browsers

Profiles are one of the best kept secrets around regarding... Read More

5 Sure Fire Ways To Send Visitors Away For Good

So your traffic is going through the roof yeah? It's... Read More

Let Your Customers Redesign Your Website!

When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store,... Read More

Learn to Build a Better Online Business Website Using Keywords and Content

Are you aware that 90% of the websites on the... Read More

Creating Compelling Content , Write It and They Will Come

In a previous ezinearticles.com article,"I Need real visitors, Not Search... Read More

How To Write More Powerful Online Text

Although there are significant differences among the various types of... Read More

Creating Websites that Cater to Exam Preparations

One of the things that Internet excels is disseminating information... Read More

Tell me what your website does!

You know exactly what your organisation does and what your... Read More

Your Content for Nothing and Your Clicks for Free

The first thing my business consultant (read brother-in-law) asked me,... Read More

Web Content: How Much Should I Pay?

When web content gets discussed on webmaster bulletin boards, the... Read More

How One Word Or Even One Letter Can Boost Conversion Rates By Over 400%!

Recently I was reviewing the keyword specific conversion rate data... Read More

Search Engines and Customers Want Focused Web Site Content

How do you decide on the content, products and or... Read More

How Improving Your Sites Usability Can Increase Your Buyers by 40% and Boost Each Order By 10%!

With all of the factors involved in designing and building... Read More