Digital presence for start-ups: Where to start?
Creating a new website is an exciting opportunity, but many entrepreneurs make mistakes that negatively affect the performance and user experience of the site. We've collected the most common mistakes to avoid if you want to create an effective and attractive website.
1. Unclear objectives and message - Know what you want to convey!
One of the most common mistakes is not defining exactly what you want to achieve before you create a page. If we don't know what the purpose of the site is - selling products, providing information or encouraging contact - our message can be confusing to visitors. It is important to be clear at the outset of the design process about the purpose of the website and the desired user action (e.g. purchase, request for quote).
How to avoid it?
Define the purpose of the page in one sentence, and adapt every element of the page - from the text to the buttons - to this purpose. This way, visitors will immediately understand what you have to offer and you'll be able to guide them more easily.
2. Poor user experience (UX) - Think about your visitors!
Pages that are cluttered, slow or difficult to navigate can quickly put visitors off. A common mistake is to make the design or functionality of a website too complex, so that users cannot easily find what they are looking for. A good website is simple and user-friendly, where all information is easily accessible and navigation is clear.
How to avoid it?
Test your site on multiple devices (e.g. mobile, tablet, desktop) and get feedback from users.
3. Lack of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - Help Google find you!
Many people forget to optimise their websites for search engines, which results in them being difficult to find on Google. If you don't have the right keyword usage, meta descriptions or optimised content, your website can be at a disadvantage against competitors. To increase organic search traffic, it is important to consider SEO.
How to avoid it?
Use keywords in the main parts of the page (e.g. titles, descriptions, content) and make sure all images and elements are well optimised.
4. Slow loading speed - Don't let your site slow down!
Page load speed is key, as a slow page will discourage visitors who will not wait for it to load. Excessively large images, unnecessary plugins or outdated code all slow down a website, which can have a negative impact on user experience and SEO.
How to avoid it?
Optimise images to a smaller size but high quality, use caching and remove unnecessary plugins. It's also worth choosing a reliable, fast hosting provider that offers adequate support for fast page loads.
5. Lack of mobile-friendly design - Think about mobile users!
More and more visitors are coming from mobile, so if your site is not mobile-friendly, you could be losing visitors at a high rate. Many websites are designed for desktop viewing only, making them difficult to navigate or read on mobile. Google also ranks non-mobile-friendly sites lower in search results.