Low performing websites can hurt a business/organization. No matter how much visits you get to your website, you wont be able to make more sales, sign ups, or leads out of it. Today we’ll talk about some problem areas for websites performing below average and some simple solutions that you can implement by yourself.
1. Lack of clear message
Low performing websites usually have no clear message about what they’re offering, leaving the user to figure that out on their own. And because of this the visitor ends up hitting the back button and going to the next website, probably a competitor. A website should convey a very clear message. When a visitor lands on your page, they should be able to quickly tell what your website is about. You have just a few seconds to capture the visitor’s attention but without a clear message, you lose that opportunity.
Figure out the message you want your website to convey then make sure you update your website accordingly. This may mean that you remove other conflicting messages that do not support your main message.
2. The way you say what you have to say
Another problem with low performing websites is how information is presented. You may have a great message, but if it is somewhere in a long body of text then it’s likely that the visitor will not see it. You want to present just enough text to get your message across. If at all possible, use other forms of media to do the job. Using photos, charts, or video has been shown to increase visitor engagement and conversion because these visual aids tend to present information in more appealing ways.
When employing other forms of media, quality is key. Find a great photographer/graphic designer/video producer to put your message together. Avoid reusing photos from the internet that are of poor quality just because you have no time to get more professional quality. What you say is as important as how you say it.
3. What’s next?
The last problem we’ll cover today is a lack of call-to-action. You’ve worked on your message, and the visitor is sold. What are they supposed to do next?
Well, what would you like them to do? Fill a form, download an e-book, make a purchase, etc. You need to tell users what you’d like them to do and offer ample directions.
When asking a visitor on your website to do something, offer them assurance that they’re making the right choice. For example, if you want a visitor to sign up for a newsletter, assure them that you will not sell their information (and do not sell it). Some people have been scammed before and by providing this assurance you’re building up confidence with them.
Make the call-to-action elements such as buttons stand out. It is also important that you have at most 3 call-to-action buttons on a page, otherwise it just becomes a poorly structured web page.
In conclusion
A low performing website hurts your organization in more ways than you know. Marketing dollars spent on traffic just go down the drain when they could bring in more revenue. Spend some time today and work through the points shared on this post and with time, you’ll see great improvements.
