Why Websites Fail

There are millions and millions of websites out there all offering you some kind of service or other however very few of them actually make money. Many people will ask why they are not making money out of their website but have no idea themselves. I have listed my top 5 reasons for why I believe websites fail.

1. Lack of Marketing

Many people will spend their time putting a website together and just expect it to make money. You need to think, how are people going to find me? The most common way for people to find websites is via search engines and if you do not show up in the rankings then you just won't be seen. The best way to describe this is that if you were opening a shop then the location really matters. If you are on a high street then you will get a lot of passing traffic and if your shop is set up correctly, you will sell. However if you are on a little back street you will only get customers that know about you.

So you need to ask yourself, do you want to get that passing traffic? If the answer to that question is yes then you need to invest. Without investment in marketing you will not get seen and so you will not get sales. It is obvious really but is something that a lot of website owners forget, don't be one of those.

2. Incorrect website layout

A lot of designers will give you a site that you and they like the look of however very little time was spent on the usability of the site. Remember the most important thing for a website is that your visitors can find what they want.

If you are a shop make it obvious and make it easy for users to find what they are looking for. Think of one of the biggest online shops, Amazon, when you go to their site it is quite clear that they are a shop and they have an easy to use search facility to look for products. Once you find what you are looking for you have a well set up check out process which results in a much higher visitor to sale ratio.

If you are a business that is offering a service make it easy for users to find out what you are offering and who you are. It should also be easy for users to contact you and find out how they can take things forward.

Always remember that internet users are impatient, anything that means they have to work hard to get what they want will put them off and they will go somewhere else.

3. Poor Content

It is important to remember that you should always proof read any content you add to your site. If users see poor grammar or a number of spelling mistakes it will make them lose confidence in you and your business. Take that extra time and get it right.

Also remember that content needs to be fresh and interesting. If you are regularly updating your content people will get to know that and so will come back again and again to get the latest information. These return visits may lead to a sale or an enquiry as the users gains more confidence in you.

4. Too Many Adverts

It is fine to have a few strategically place adverts that bring you regular revenue but if you go overboard adding adverts in any spare space it will make your site seem like one big advert. The disadvantage to this is that your message is lost. Your users no longer see you and what you are trying to sell but they see a lot of company's all trying to sell them different things. These people may go to another site very quickly and you may even lose them to someone advertising on your site.

5. Slow Response Time

If you receive an enquiry on your website it is advisable to take no longer than 24 hours to respond. You will be amazed how many company's takes days to respond if they respond at all. Think about the image this creates of your company. The person who made the enquiry will not be keen to use your services and they will see the level of serve you gave as extremely poor. Get back them quickly and be enthusiastic, this will keep them interested in you.

Conclusion

This is not an exhaustive list of the things that companies get wrong but it should give you a good idea of where to start. If you follow these there is no guarantee you will have a successful website but it will help you along the way significantly.