Why Your Website Is Not Attracting Traffic And How To Fix It
Article by: Jeff Pratt
In a world and age when everything is digital, it is almost impossible to imagine having a business without a website. There are numerous reasons why a website would be beneficial to your business. First it is way cheaper to have market online than to buy advertisement space in print or digital media. There is the advantage of being easily accessible day and night, your customers are not limited by closing or opening hours. Last but not least you can easily establish long term clients online.
Having a website is however not all that is important. Many businesses have websites, the key is having a website that is attractive to customers. A website just like a physical shop needs maintenance and constant upgrade. Below are some of the reasons why your website does not have the online presence it should be having.
1. Is your site mobile friendly?
The first thing that draws customers to you is the ease of navigation of your website. More often than not after the first impression, one is most likely to stay or leave for good.
More and more customers are shopping from the comfort of their phones and this is a market you’re as a business owner would love to tap into. The good thing about this is that making your site mobile friendly is a process that takes less than 10 minutes. Using the site your already have, and conversion platforms such as Duda mobile. Then ensure the plug INS you use are mobile compatible. The up side of all this is that google raises the rankings of websites they consider to mobile friendly which is an added advantage.
2. Is the information you are providing brief and on point?
Learned fellows communicate with each other in tough bad technical terms that are not understandable to a common citizen. A customer seeking a legal firm is not going to be in awe of how much you know unless they are able to actually find help from your site. It is therefore important to use language that is simple, easy to read and passes the information needed.
No one wants to sift through tones of irrelevant terms when they can close the page and find another that suits their needs.
Review the content regularly to check whether it’s full of jargon or speaks to the customers from a clear point of view.
3. Is the important stuff well prioritized in your pages?
After finding out about the services /products you provide the next thing a customer would like to know is where you are located or what number to call for bookings. Such essential information should be placed in a place that can easily be seen by a prospective client. A map is terribly important especially if your business is in a crowded area of town.
Not putting this information where it can be seen by a client is only working against you. Ensure the chronology of your pages is leading and well organized. The first page should not be FAQs and your services should definitely not be placed last.
4. What is your websites loading speed?
No one has patience when it comes to slow connection. The maximum time it should take any site to load is 2seconds and that is from a patient person’s perspective. If I clicked on a site that took longer than this, regardless of how well reviewed they are I would close the page and seek out another.
Make it a personal aim to check the loading speed every so often to ensure sluggishness isn’t a stumbling block to your success.
Website tools such as GTmetrix and Pingdom help you do a website speed test will help you know when to adjust.
5. Call-To-Actions! Are they compelling enough?
I like it when I know what to do next, no one likes being stranded or stuck in life. After going through your website, give the customers a direction to go to.
Call to actions are important as they help you also know how many people visited and how many liked what they saw and read. Common call-to-actions that will upgrade your site include; “click here to have your first consultation free” or click here for your first free legal consult”. There are many ways to do this but the most important thing is that they should be foolproof. Hub spot offers you 31 CTAs that are tried and tested.
6. Is your website millennial enough?
In the day and age when the younger population are using smart phones, apps and websites 24/7… it comes as a per-requisite that your website should appeal to the new generation. An outdated website that does not have the current information or news is likely to only hurt your rankings.
This does not mean that your should refresh your content daily, it just means that whatever your put up should appeal to the old and the new alike. Keep up with trends and create links for services that are newer but still lucrative for your business. Do not be left behind, after all the only constant in this planet is change.
7. Organization and linking
First impressions last longest no lie. Just like in a supermarket, customers like the frozen foods together and cereals together with dry grains. Cluttered websites are repelling even to the eye. Organize all your information in an orderly manner. Provide links to other pages so as to avoid having all the information on your homepage.
Links are very helpful even when it comes to sharing as a form of advertisement. This cannot be emphasized enough.
8. The power of reviews and timely replies.
Every so often we judge items and services based on what our peers think about them. If my neighbor says the lawnmower is not worth it, then I shall not buy it. That said, many a times as businesses we fail, we make mistakes but the power lies in the ability to accept it and the promise to do better.
If all your customers leave negative reviews, acknowledge receipt and promise them you shall work on doing better. This is what builds lifelong clients.
If on your homepage you promise to reply to clients immediately then do so. Otherwise, it is better to not tie yourself and offer the option of “typically replies within an hour’
That said, it is important to keep in mind that times change, and trends change, make it a decision to always be in the process of improvement.
Go to our homepage for more information on our web design services.
I hope this was helpful!
Image source: https://graphpaperpress.com/blog/101-simple-tips-increase-website-traffic/
