We all see a lot of websites these days. But how often do you find yourself on a new site wondering what the company actually does or wants you to do next?
It’s an all too common problem. In our haste to build websites, we often forget to look at the initial designs through our site visitors’ eyes and routinely fail to make it easy for them to do what we want.
This recent post from Socialmouths highlights five common website mistakes that dramatically impact the number of conversions.
Top of the list is the failure to state a clear value proposition, by demonstrating what makes your organisation special and different. In a nutshell:
you have to tell people quickly and simply what it is that you do, and why you’re great at it
And there are other design crimes like too many CTAs (calls to action), no single dominant CTA, and insufficient reasons to believe that also regularly impair the effectiveness of many websites.
Next time you visit a new website, think about the five common mistakes that Socialmouths has identified and ask yourself if they apply and how they could be addressed. Then look back at your own site, wearing your desired visitor’s hat, and ask yourself the same questions.
I’m not a gambling man, but I’ll bet you’ll instantly spot several things you can improve.