Building a website for your small business can seem like a daunting task. After all, there are so many things to consider, from the design and layout of the site to ensuring that it is optimized for search engine visibility. To help make the process easier, here are five common mistakes you should avoid when creating your business website.
1. Not budgeting enough time and money
Creating a website takes time and money. It’s important to plan ahead and budget both resources accordingly. If you don’t have the necessary funds, you may need to put off starting your project until you do have the money available. Additionally, it’s important to set realistic timelines for each phase of the process so that you don’t wind up feeling overwhelmed or behind schedule during development.
2. Not researching competitors
Before launching your website, take a look at what your competitors are doing. This will give you an idea of what works (and what doesn’t) in your industry, as well as provide inspiration for designing your own site. You can also use competitor research as an opportunity to identify gaps in the market and figure out ways to differentiate yourself from them with unique features on your website.
3. Failing to optimize for mobile
More and more people are using their phones or tablets instead of traditional computers when browsing online. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you’re missing out on potential customers. Make sure that all elements of your site are easily accessible on mobile devices; this includes text blocks, menus, and contact forms.
4. Ignoring SEO best practices
While there are many factors involved in search engine optimization, there are some basic steps you can take right away.
Optimizing Your Title Tags
One of the most important SEO best practices is to optimize your title tags. Your title tags are the text that appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs) when your website appears. They should be descriptive and keyword rich, as they play a major role in helping people click through to your website.
Optimizing Your Meta Descriptions
Another important SEO best practice is to optimize your meta descriptions. Meta descriptions are the short descriptions that appear under your title tags in the SERPs. They should be compelling and convince people to click through to your website.
Optimizing Your Webpages for Keywords
A third important SEO best practice is to optimize your webpages for keywords. Keyword optimization involves using relevant keywords throughout your website, including in your title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and body text. By optimizing your webpages for keywords, you can help improve your website’s visibility and organic traffic levels.
5. Not having clear CTAs
A call-to-action (CTA) is simply an element on a page designed to prompt visitors into taking action. Make sure each CTA is clear by using concise language like “Get a Proposal”; this helps visitors quickly understand what they need to do next without any confusion! Promote a maximum of two CTAs per page on your website to avoid confusing or distracting your website visitors.
A clear CTA on a website will help to increase conversions by making it easy for visitors to know what they need to do next. It will also help to improve the user experience of a website by making it easy for visitors to find the information they are looking for.