Small businesses now understand how important it is to have a website but they do not actually know how to properly use it. There are so many mistakes that are done, mistakes that reduce website leads and hurt the business without the owner even realizing this is the case.

Unfortunately, there are so many website mistakes that are made by small businesses these days. There are many that we can highlight. Instead of trying to present as many as possible, let’s focus on those that are quite common and that should stop as they are drastically hurting the entire business. Not making the following website mistakes will instantly improve the results gained with the use of the website for every single small business.

Not Using The Website In A Way That Contributes To Business Strategy

Most small businesses realize the fact that they need to have a website but they do not actually understand how that website helps the strategy. It is often not even included in the business plan. If you have a website simply because everyone out there has one, it is a certainty that results are much lower than they could be.

When a website is built, it is really important to identify what goals you try to achieve with it. For instance, do you want to:

• Present the message of the business to prospects?
• Use the site to make sales?
• Offer a free financial review?
• Get new high-end clients?

After you identify how the website fits into your overall business strategy, you can start building it.

Thinking That Web Development Is Highly Complicated

When you try to build your website and you do not know much about it you can end up feeling bombarded by the choices that are available. Business owners often think that website development is highly complicated. They hear jargon like HTML, SEO, CSS, WordPress and simply do not understand much.

In many cases we see web development companies that offer all-in-one solutions. They ask for thousands of dollars in order to design the site. Numerous deals are offered in an attempt to get a client. Most of them are highly tempting.

It is really important that you register the domain name yourself and that you set up your very own hosting. Then, you need to buy your very own themes. This is true even if you hire a designer with a theme developer license.

Always avoid those that make website development sound too complicated. Small businesses do not need really complicated sites or complex teams to work for them.

Writing Content After Design Was Delivered

It is really easy to be tempted to just choose a theme and then hire a person to handle customization. However, any competent designer or developer will let the small business owner know that it is always better to have a copy.

The copy is going to drastically influence the choice of design and graphics. Also, copywriting will influence home page design. Do you know how many services are going to be featured on the home page? If not, re-coding might end up being a cost that you will need to pay.

It is really important that you work with your designer during every step of the process. This is what guarantees the best possible website, one that will perfectly suit the small business.

Not Using WordPress

Most small business owners that want to get their website up and running never heard about WordPress. The belief is normally that all sites are exactly the same. Because of this, many websites end up being set up with software that is proprietary. It will look great until changes are needed. This is when you end up paying a lot of money since only a person that knows the software can make changes.

You always want to use a platform that is not locked with a web development company. WordPress stands out as the best possible option. It is really easy to get it running with a minimum investment. Numerous resources are already available and if a fix is needed, it is so simple to find someone to get it done, even an independent contractor.

To make matters even more interesting, WordPress is really simple to use and learn. You can easily end up managing your very own updates with the in-house staff, as opposed to having someone do it for you. When a web developer tries to tell you that you should not use WordPress, you need to talk to someone else.

Paying For Services And Features That Are Not Needed

It is easy to be impressed by a list of features included in a website development contract. There are companies that offer QR codes and setup for different social media networks. It is simple to end up overpaying as you spend money on things that you do not actually need.

It is really important that you carefully read the contract. In the event that you do not understand something, ask someone that does or use the internet for research. There are many services that have a very big price tag but that you do not actually need. Some just sound complicated and would take a few minutes to actually implement. Some web developers are even so dishonest that they bill you for adding something that is free with the WordPress platform.

You can save a lot of money when you only get the services you actually need. Also, just as an extra, QR codes are free.

Lack Of A Promotion Plan Before The Site Is Done

Many small businesses think that the site will get visitors just because it is online, maybe with a few keywords added. Only after some time the realization that work needs to be done appears. It is always important that the promotion plan is built before the website is over to fully maximize its online presence.

A Focus On Traffic Instead Of Website Conversions

Getting a lot of traffic does not mean the website will be a success for the small business. In fact, most of the small businesses get enough traffic with the use of basic SEO and organic strategies.

What needs to be known is that you will only get dividends when you are on the very first page of Google search results for keywords that clients actually use.

Traffic is not going to help if you cannot convert the visitors. You practically need them to take a specific action you want. Focusing on conversions means:

• The business will grow and marketing budget will be higher.
• Buying traffic becomes possible through highly targeted ads.

Conclusions

Always avoid the website mistakes that were mentioned above as a small business. Remember that getting the site you need is not as complicated as you might think right now. Always be as informed as possible and you will get a really effective site with a limited budget, one that helps you get a higher profit.