5 Reasons Websites Don’t Work: Part 5

Lack of Planning

Many web-sites are unsuccessful due to a lack of planning.  This goes back to the question in the functionality section – What is the purpose or function of your web-site?  Is it to provide your audience with a wonderful experience, to generate sales leads, show pictures of your Chinese Pug, or build your organization’s brand?  How will you determine if your on-line venture is a success?  What are the goals you want to achieve?  Do you have all of your ducks in a row to start?  Thinking out the process takes time but it will prepare you and keep you from making unnecessary mistakes in the future.  Failure to plan is planning to fail.

You must have a road map and plan of where you want to go before you can get there.

Thinking through and implementing these five posted suggestions will greatly help you to stay on track when developing a website and increase the chances for a successful outcome.

5 Reasons Websites Don’t Work: Part 4

Too Much Fluff

So many people try to say so many things in a day and age where nobody has the time to stop and listen.   Websites that fill up space with needless information and useless hyperbole are just wasting time…theirs and ours.  Include information that benefits your audience and that helps them to make the decision to choose your church, product, or service over others.  Don’t bog people down with long content when you can keep it short and sweet.  This advice also applies to ALL of your marketing materials – no fluff just the important stuff!

Give them short and sweet information that draws them in and makes them want to come back for more!

5 Reasons Websites Don’t Work: Part 3

Design and Layout

Have you ever gone to a web-site and been so overwhelmed by the hodge-podge of information or graphics on a homepage that it just makes your head spin? The result is usually a rapid exit. Unfortunately 90% of the web-sites on the Internet fall in this category. Many websites are designed absolutely horribly! The days of letting Johnnie’s cousin who knows Web Design Pro 3000 are over…unless you want to turn people off.

Here are a couple of thoughts:

• Hire a professional designer that knows how to build and design great websites. I have heard the quote, “you can pay now or you can pay later, but either way you’re going to pay!” Pay the money upfront to hire a professional or you may pay later by losing your audience.

• Keep your website simple. Don’t overwhelm your visitor with so much information or flashing graphics that it confuses them. While newspapers are decreasing in readership they do have proven layouts of how people like to read. Follow their example.

Ineffective design and layout for any web-site kills sales, usage, retention, functionality, and any hopes of connecting with your audience!

5 Reasons Websites Don’t Work: Part 2

Not Functional

I have visited thousands of web-sites that provide no function other than frustration to the viewer. Some examples of this are broken or non-working links, wading through 200 pages to get contact information, not having relevant information listed, excessive use of Flash files and intros, files that are a gazillion megabytes, and so on. What is the function of your web-site? Is it to give timely information, make a sale, to draw people in, or to merely entertain? Will it work for its intended purpose? These questions must be answered!  It is very important to test and retest your website to ensure it is functioning properly.  And please remember that your potential visitor must always be kept in mind when developing a site.  

Developing a focused and functional website is absolutely essential for success!  

5 Reasons Websites Don’t Work: Part 1

No Marketing

Absolutely nothing can ever generate interest, results, revenue, or profit without marketing in some form. Many people have invested thousands of dollars in a website and believe just having it on the web will bring in droves of visitors. It doesn’t work! In order for people to find your website they must know where to look. Print media, blogs, search engines, radio, TV, publications, and word of mouth all are essentially needed for your audience or customer to find your digital front door. The more tools you use the better the chance of people finding you. Plus getting the word out correctly, in a way that is engaging, will increase the chances of making your website successful.

You must market, promote, brand and communicate about your website.