The Top 7 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Hiring for Website Design Services
The reality is that everyone has a website and most business’ make the same mistakes. You can avoid these costly (and blatantly avoidable) mistakes when you are hiring company for Website Design Services. Save yourself a lot of time and frustration while producing more success online. The best time to do it is BEFORE you create a website. The second-best time is as soon as you know there’s a problem! And that is probably now.
This article will serve as a good to identify and avoid the 7 most common mistakes business owners make with their website. Here are seven critical errors many fall prey to, along with effective strategies to steer clear of them.
1. Not Having a Clear Brand and Mission
A surprising oversight by many business owners is the lack of a clearly defined brand and mission. Without this foundational clarity, the website can suffer from a disjointed narrative that fails to convey the essence of the business, diminishing its ability to connect with potential customers. It is the same as someone that tells long-winded stories and never gets to the point. It is just frustrating and you can’t get away fast enough. Don’t make this your Users experience!
Solution: Prior to embarking on the web design process, dedicate time to review, and possible refine, your brand’s mission, vision, and values. These elements should guide the design and content of your website, ensuring that every part of your site resonates with your core message. The goal here is a consistent and accurate presentation of your company and what it does.
2. Neglecting Customer Research and Understanding Their Audience
This probably should be number 1! Over 15 years of creating websites, this is the most frequent and most costly mistake business owners make. They “assume” or may even truly know what their customers want, think of them, and understand the language used to describe them. I can confidently bet that you would be shocked how far off you could be. Customer research is the only way to undercover these gaps and blind spots.
Skipping customer research is a common blunder that leads to websites that don’t resonate with their intended users. Knowing your audience is essential for creating a site that effectively communicates and engages.
Solution: Conduct demographic analysis, user surveys, and employ analytics to grasp your audience’s behaviors and preferences. Customize your website’s design and content based on these insights to captivate and engage your target demographic. If you need help, check out our online course
3. Not Conducting SEO Research Ahead of Time
SEO is crucial for web visibility yet often overlooked during the initial design phases. Neglecting SEO can lead to lower search rankings and reduced visibility. If I asked you to list 5 keywords you would like to rank for, chances are that they would have a very high level of difficulty to rank for. Those are the words that everyone wants and are the most competitive. The object of good SEO research is to understand what the alternative keywords or keyword phrases are and build around that.
Solution: Implement thorough keyword research to understand what your potential customers are searching for. Understanding which words are highly competitive and which you have a good chance to rank for. Ensure your web design service integrates SEO best practices from the outset to enhance your site’s discoverability.
4. Not Having Clear Metrics or Expectations of the Website
Most people would assume that there is a plan for your website. The truth is often strange than fiction. Without specific metrics, evaluating the success of your website can become subjective. This often leads to dissatisfaction with both the performance and the design service.
Solution: Define clear, measurable objectives for your site, such as traffic, conversion rates, or specific user actions. Communicate these goals to your design team to ensure alignment with your business needs.
5. Choosing Based Solely on Price
While budget constraints are real, opting for the cheapest web design service can end up costing more in the long run due to inadequate results. The old saying, “You Get What You Pay For” is real. The key is to think of it as an investment in your business not an expense without return. You also have some control on the expense by understanding what you MUST have and what is NICE to have.
Solution: Assess potential designers by their portfolio, client reviews, and the breadth of services they offer. Be extremely clear on what are “Must haves” and “nice to haves”. If the list of “Must Haves” exceed the business’ finances, create a plan that will satisfy the requirements over time. Opt for a provider who offers good aftercare and ongoing support.
6. Ignoring Mobile Optimization
Many businesses overlook the necessity of mobile optimization despite the increasing use of smartphones for internet browsing. Ask any potential company how they handle mobile optimization. Once you have some history and traffic through your site, tolls like Google Analytics can tell you what percentage of your visitors are on mobile vs. desktop. These ratios are generally consistent within an industry. The focus on mobile or desktop will inform the development process and ultimately the cost.
Solution: Ensure your web design is responsive and looks and works well on various devices. Regular testing across different platforms should be a key part of your strategy.
7. Overlooking Website Scalability
A common error is failing to plan for future growth, which can render a website obsolete as the business evolves. This can come in the form of picking the wrong platform to create a site, choosing the software packages or plugins, or the risk of a provider going out of business. Choose a plan and company that can support your business through years of growth.
Solution: Plan for scalability from the beginning. Opt for a CMS that supports growth, and ensure your hosting can handle an increase in traffic and content. Standards like WordPress, Elementor and a good host (GoDaddy) can eliminate a lot of the risk.
Conclusion
Avoiding these pitfalls will significantly enhance your website’s effectiveness. A strategic approach to hiring web design services, equipped with a solid understanding of your brand, your goals, and technical needs, will yield a website that not only meets but exceeds expectations. Collaborate with professionals who grasp your vision and have the tools and expertise to bring it to life, ensuring your online presence robustly supports your business ambitions.
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