I often times speak with potential clients who’s websites are usually the main culprit for their lack of success online. I know that design is very subjective and not everyone is going to agree on “good” design but there are certain elements of a website that are always going to be necessary to have in order to achieve success online. Clean layout with conversion metrics will always be important no matter what you are offering. Aside from design and colors if your home page looks like a steamy hot mess than you are only going to scare your audience away.
Let’s take a look at some of the areas that will scare your web audience away:
Affiliate Ads
Is more than half of your home page covered in affiliate ads? Are you a service based business that has more affiliate ads than content related to your services? You have to determine the goal of your website early in the stage. Do you want to offer something to the public or do you want to make money from ad space? You can do both but it has to be tastefully done. Blanketing your entire website with Netflix banners is not going to appeal to your audience no matter who you are or what you sell.
Google Ads
Google ads only truly work when you have a significant amount of unique visitors on a daily basis. I have seen some website that have so many Google ads on them I couldn’t even get the messaging of the website. This is a sure fire way to shoot yourself in the foot. A tasteful approach is the approach that is needed to get this job done right and littering your entire website with Google ads is not how it’s done. A few tucked away on a blog, sure but 70% of the home page? Really?
Out Dated Design
If your website is still operating from design dating back to 1999 you might want to upgrade your design a bit. I don’t care what industry you are in. Nothing from 1999 is going to keep converting for 10+ plus years. It is time to explore some new branding elements for your online business. A fresh new chapter is always good for a website. Poor web design is not going to help you in the long run.
No Conversion Metrics
No lead forms, no phone numbers and hidden shopping sections is a great way to get nowhere fast online. Don’t make your website traffic look for anything. It needs to be right there, clear and visible for them to read at all times in order to get some traction and get leads coming in to your business website.
Very few and far between websites are pumping away like well oiled machines after not being touched for many years. There are always important elements to have on a website in order to get things moving in the right direction and clean focused website design along with communication elements like lead forms and phone numbers will help an online business with increased sales and conversions over time. Check out this site if you want to see some of the worst website design examples on the planet.