Internet Marketing Mistakes - Section 3 Website

0:17 A well designed functioning website is crucial for your success as a business owner. Even if you have good products and exceptional services, you'll quickly fall behind your competitors if your business website is lacking in any way.

0:31 But do you know that there are some common mistakes that you might be making that can turn off your potential customers?

0:39 Here are some of them. Selecting a confusing domain name. Picking a confusing or irrelevant domain name can result in low traffic and a decline in user interest.

0:51 If you want to improve brand recall and encourage repeat business, make sure that your domain name is memorable and clear.

0:58 Here are some tips to keep in mind. Match your company name. Choose a domain name that's the same as your company name, or get as close to it as possible.

1:10 Incorporate relevant keywords. Including relevant keywords in your domain name will make it easier for your potential customers to find you within search engine results.

1:21 Keep it short and simple. Don't make your domain name too complicated. Make sure that it's easy to type, spell, and pronounce.

1:35 Bad logo One of the most visible and essential aspects of your brand identity is your company logo. It serves as the foundation of all your future branding offers.

1:47 For this reason, you should design and use one that properly reinforces your brand identity. Don't skip on quality because a poorly designed or low quality logo will also negatively reflect on your business.

2:06 Poor website design. There are a lot of things you can add to your website, interesting color combinations, artistic elements and graphics, sliding images and interactive features.

2:18 However, this doesn't mean that you can add all of them to your website. Instead of creating a busy and distracting website, opt for a clean and responsive design so visitors can focus exclusively on your products or services.

2:33 A clean design also allows you to easily direct these visitors through your conversion without worrying that their attention will get diverted by eye-catching elements on your website.

2:45 Here are some other factors to consider. Keep your top level navigation simple and easy to understand. Can your visitors easily find the information they're looking for?

2:56 Avoid adding too many drop-down items because they make your visitors work too hard to find what they need. Consider merging similar or connected pages into only one page.

3:08 For instance, you can avoid cluttering your navigation by having your mission, philosophy, about page and team information in just one page.

3:18 Don't use low-quality images. Grayney or blurry photos reflect poorly on your company. Have a professional photographer take photos of your business, team, products or services.

3:32 If your budget is limited, you can use free stock images from sites like Unsplash or Pixabay, which will let you download your photos without using Attribution.

3:42 If you have a limited budget, a template design can be a good start for your business. However, it may not have as much impact as custom built websites that specifically tailored for your brand.

3:58 Poor Website Copy Here are some common mistakes to avoid when writing content for your business website. Thin content If you only add a few sentences per page or post, you're setting yourself up for failure.

4:14 Search engines tend to prefer authoritative long-form content, so having minimal content on your site can negatively impact your ranking in search results.

4:25 Offer a balanced mix of text and visual content to avoid overwhelming your customers or leave them wanting. Grammar and spelling errors Grammar and spelling errors on your site can make your visitors perceive your company as unprofessional.

4:42 If you're writing your content, have someone else edit your work to catch any errors you may have missed. Tools like Grammarly can also help you with proofreading.

4:54 Excessive jargon. Communicate your message directly and clearly. Avoid using too many industry-specific terminology that your audience may not necessarily understand.

5:07 Large blocks of text. Online readers tend to prefer reading through information that they can scan through easily. Avoid using large blocks of text.

5:17 Instead, use bulleted or numbered lists, short paragraphs and info graphics to keep the reader's attention. Not updating your website. Make sure that your site's up to date.

5:33 If there are new developments or changes to the information you have on your website, make sure to update as soon as possible.

5:42 For example, it can be frustrating for potential customers to check your business hours on your site, go to your office and find a place closed.

5:56 Trying to cater to everyone. Not everyone who visits your site is going to be a customer. Remember, when creating your website, always keep your target audience in mind.

6:07 Give them the features that they need the most, provide them with tools that will aid their search and keep the things that may distract or annoy them to a minimum.

6:17 For instance, if you're targeting a younger demographic, keep your website fun and help. If your ideal customer is a working adult, stick to a more professional design.

6:29 Remember, if you incorporate two or more styles into a single website design, you're only harming your brand. Marketing your business takes commitment and strategic thinking to get the most value for your money.

6:47 Do your best to avoid the mistakes mentioned in this course, and you'll be on your way to a successful campaign.