The 7 DONTs on your professional website

In order to get a professional looking website, there are a few rules to follow. And some things you should never do! Let’s start with what you should avoid:

1- Huge paragraphs of text on the main site pages

When visitors find your site through keyword search and web browsing, they need to find on your landing page what they are after extremely quickly. Most of the time, they are not in the mindset of reading a book but more scanning around your site looking for answers. So keep your words and sentences short, simple and to the point. Your site needs to be scan-able and communicate succinctly.

2- No clear function

it is essential to write a brief description of the company’s fundamental purpose on your homepage. You user should know what you do within a few seconds Expressing a clear and concise mission statement on your homepage is vital. Basically your mission statement answers the question, Why do we exist?

3- Too many links/sections

You want your website to be as simple and succinct as possible. By having links across the top of each page, down the sides and across the bottom, you’re confusing site visitors. Try to combine like sections in creative ways on the same page. In order to keep them visually short, add links in them to expanded sections. And remember, simplicity is beautiful and it sells.

4- Too many pages on your site

If you end up with too many pages on your site, that means that your content is not organized well enough. It needs to be restructured with like themes gathered. Too many pages clutter the message you deliver and confuse the navigation.

5- Pages which are half-done or not thought out

Each page of your website needs to be exceptional and give a clear idea of your services and your company. You have to remember that visitors won’t necessarily stumble-upon your website through the front door. Organic search traffic can come from anywhere. That is why all of your pages need to be remarkable, so visitors can notice you and want to know more.

6- No call to action

Your website needs to inspire people. You have to incitate them to take whatever next steps you’d like them to take after visiting your page. A call to action is vital if you want your small business website to attract new clients. You cannot simply describe your business and what you do. After viewing your page, I should know exactly what the next steps are to enlist your services.

7-Too much Flash

A small amount of Flash used for a very specific purpose may be okay, but entire flash-based sites are not recommanded for business. Yes Google does index flash content but it is hard to find entirely flash-based sites that are page one in Google for a popular search term. You also have to consider that not everyone has a flash plugin in their web browser nor can view flash sites through mobile devices. And if you are not a bit computer savvy, it will make your life much harder when it comes to update the content on your site.

For more information you can also read our post 9 rules of thumb for small businesses websites