A website is a great way to showcase your business, but it can be a major turn-off if it’s not well-designed. People don’t stay on cluttered, slow, or hard to navigate your websites. So if your website isn’t performing as well as you’d like, it could be because of one or more. From slow loading speeds to outdated content, a variety of factors can make visitors leave your website without taking action.
Luckily, there are ways to fix these issues and make your website more user-friendly and engaging. In this article, we’ll discuss the 8 fundamental issues people may have with your website and how you can fix them. Then, with the right changes, you can create a website that people will enjoy visiting.
Slow Loading Speeds
First and foremost, if your website loads slowly, people won’t stick around to experience the rest of your site. A study found that a one-second page loading delay caused a revenue drop per user. So, if your site takes more than three/four seconds to load, you could be putting your business at risk. Luckily, slow websites are easy to fix. First, ensure you’re not hosting your site with a provider that’s too far away. Generally, a server located in the same country as your customers will load faster than one abroad. Also, you may want to look into using a content delivery network (CDN) to host your images. These images make up the bulk of what’s slowing your site down. So, hosting these images closer to your main audience/visitors can significantly decrease loading time. Also, make sure your website is built with performance in mind. Choose simple, streamlined fonts and images, and don’t use too many plugins or widgets that could slow down your site.
Poor Navigation
When visitors try to click a link or button and nothing happens, they get frustrated. In addition, many people will just click away from your site if you don’t provide straightforward, visible navigation. A survey found that 89% of people expect clear navigation on websites. So, if your navigation is confusing or nonexistent, you’re likely losing many potential customers.
One of the best ways to fix poor navigation is to conduct user research. Interview several people familiar with your industry and ask them what they look for on a website. You might discover that you have the correct information, but your navigation is not obvious enough. Your navigation should be front and centre and easily accessible via buttons, tabs, or menus. Avoid adding too many options, as this will make it harder for people to find what they’re looking for. You might also consider adding a search bar to make it easier for people to locate a certain product or service.
Outdated Content
If your site is over a few years old, you may consider updating some of your content. This will make your website appear more current and trustworthy. It will also help you keep your content fresh and relevant. After all, search engines like Google prioritise new content over older posts. Newer posts also allow you to respond to current events and improve your reputation. When you show that you’re keeping up with trends, it makes you look more reliable. So, if you have a product that’s been around for years, adding new content can help customers see it as a more relevant solution to their problems. You can write new articles from scratch or update your older posts with new information. Just make sure your posts are consistent with the rest of your website.
Unappealing Design
Many people may overlook an ugly design if you have great content. But some will find the design so unappealing that they won’t want to stay on your site. The good news is that an unappealing design is relatively easy to fix. Just make sure your design fits with the rest of your brand and it’s simple and engaging. A website design that’s too cluttered or too complex will turn people away. It also doesn’t have to be overly fancy. The best designs are often the simplest. For example, many successful blogs use a single image at the top of the page and a minimalistic design throughout the rest of the site. Ensure your design is consistent across your social media platforms and website. And, if you decide to invest in a website redesign, ensure you’re making a good investment. Don’t just hire the cheapest designer you can find. Find someone specialising in the website type you want, and make sure they understand your brand.
Unclear Calls to Action
The best way to turn website visitors into customers is to provide a clear call to action (CTA). But many websites fail to include a CTA and simply end with a “click here” or “learn more” button. Including a clear CTA will help you get more leads, sales, or sign-ups from your website. The best way to ensure your CTA is clear is to know your end goal. What do you want people to do when they visit your website?
What do you want people to do if you’re selling a product? What action do you want people to take if you’re running a lead generation campaign? Once you know what you want people to do, it’s easy to include a CTA on your website. But it’s important to keep your CTA consistent. Make sure it appears on every page of your site and doesn’t change based on the page’s content. Your CTA should be easy to find and visible. Avoid placing it too far off to the side or hiding it near the bottom of the page.
Lack of Interactivity
You can add more personality to your site by including an interactive element. Start by looking at your current website design. Are there any images or elements you can make interactive? When choosing new images, remember that you can use almost anything to make your website more engaging. You can also integrate interactive elements into your posts. You can include moving animations or imagery, infographics, polls, or quizzes. You can also include widgets, such as a quote of the day widget, a blog feed widget, or a social media feed widget. You can also create a blog series or webinar that people can participate in. You can also use social media to interact with your followers. Whether posting a funny GIF or starting a poll on Twitter and Facebook, interactivity will make your brand more personable.
Poor Mobile Experience
Mobile users are growing in number, but some websites don’t look very good on a small screen. If you’re not optimising your website for mobile users, they’ll have difficulty navigating it. This could lead them to leave without taking any action. For example, maybe they’re browsing your product listing but don’t want to navigate to the desktop version to complete a purchase.
Or maybe they’re trying to find your contact information but can’t click through because your website is too cluttered for their device. You can avoid this by ensuring your website loads quickly and is easy to navigate on a mobile device. Start by optimising your website for mobile. This will help the desktop version load better on smaller screens and vice versa. You can also create two different websites: one for desktop users and one for mobile users. This will allow you to create two separate experiences for each group of users. And it will make it easier to track results and optimise your campaigns.
Conclusion
Having a website is a great way to market your business; these changes if your website needs them, will help you get more customers and improve your site’s ranking in search engines. Blue Door Design provides professional website design services in Northampton and the UK. Our web design experts focus on driving results for your business and helping you make your dream website a reality.
