Four Simple Checks for Your Small Business Website
Posted by aonenetworks On February 24, 2014
Is your website underperforming, even after you’ve poured time and effort into it? Sometimes you don’t need to do a new redesign, especially if you are a fairly new small business. In fact, small tweaks can make a huge difference, and they cost a lot less than a full website change would. Here are just a few you can consider implementing to see if they make a difference.
Your Website Footer
Your website footer doesn’t usually update, even when the year changes. So did you change your footer when 2014 began, or does it still say 2013? When a visitor is on a website, they often at least take a glance at the information at the bottom. If, for example, the copyright date isn’t updated, then sometimes clients can think you’re not on top of things. While this isn’t necessarily a killing blow, it can mean the loss of that particular customer if they believe you don’t maintenance your website on at least a yearly basis.
Your FAQ Page
Did you use a “fill in the blank’ FAQ page? A lot of the time, generic pages don’t even really answer any real questions a potential client might have about your particular company. The best way to handle these kinds of pages is to delete them completely and start from scratch. Maybe include some answers to questions you are asked often, and make sure you do it in a way that makes sense for your company. For example, if you sell gags and gifts, a serious FAQ page probably doesn’t contain the right personality. You can have fun with an FAQ page and still answer questions respectfully and honestly.
Your Contact Forms
Everyone’s contact forms ask for the same thing, and there aren’t a whole lot of ways around that. You do need a name, a phone number, and an e-mail. However, are you asking for anything else you don’t need? Some forms automatically ask for an address, and much of the time, it’s completely unnecessary to acquire one. If you don’t mail any products out to people, just delete that field off your form completely. Same goes for a fax number slot and even phone number, especially if you think the majority of your interaction will happen over the Internet.
Do You Have Any Dead Links?
When a website is being created, you probably have some idea of how the navigation is going to go together. However, if you’re not careful, a dead link or two can happen fairly easily. For example, you may have some intentions to create a certain page later on, and you link it on another page. Even though that page isn’t part of your navigation, it’s still a dead page, and will lead to a dead link if a potential client happens to click on it out of curiosity.
In addition, dead ends can occur when someone isn’t clear on where they should go from where they are. After they’ve read the information on your product, explored your landing page, and clicked some “learn more” links, where are they supposed to go? Have you made that clear enough on your website?
Sometimes a tweak here and there is all it takes to make your website more serviceable and attractive to potential clients. A little love and observance can go a long way.
