1. Failure to Define Functional Requirements
Many newbies looking for great website design like to request quotes or proposals before starting the project. What most fail to realize is that a developer can rarely, if ever, offer a quote or proposal without a defined list of functional requirements provided by the client. Most people simply contact a web designer and request a quote or proposal because they hate their existing site and need help. Unfortunately, the process is not that simple.
Factors such as complexity of the build, template variations, quantity of content to build and other functional requirements all influence quotes and proposals for web design projects. Without answers to any of these questions, an accurate quotation from a designer is nothing more than a shot in the dark. If you approach a web designer for a quote or proposal before defining your functional requirements, expect to hit some rocky roads along the way.
2. Lack of Visual Requirements
The goal of any website designer is to make the client happy. Obviously, the easiest way for a designer to accomplish this goal is to explore the visual requirements of the client. If you asked a group of professional website designers, you will find that more often than not, clients come to them looking for a new site without a clue as to what they would like their future website to look like.
Many website designers will agree that the process of deciding what type of website you like is not easy, but it is clearly necessary if you want the best results. Failure to explain your visual preferences to a website designer only increases the chances that your finished project will fail to meet your expectations.
3. Set an Unrealistic Budget
Budget is among the most important aspects of website design. Before you budget a website design project, however, it is crucial to research market conditions. This research will help you determine whether a set budget is realistic for a particular project. Failure to conduct this research could prove detrimental to the entire project.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and small business owners simply decide on an amount to pay without ever factoring in the actual amount needed to reach their marketing goals. The simple fact is that website design can be expensive and few designers will work with a client who has only a laundry list of functionality requirements and hardly any budget to support the project. Starting a web design project without a realistic budget is like shopping for a brand new BMW with only enough money to purchase a 1985 station wagon. If you are going to budget a website design project, be sure to do it realistically or risk running into financial problems every step along the way.
4. No Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Far too many business owners overlook the importance of good SEO. Many believe that pay per click campaigns and other methods that drive traffic are more valuable than SEO. However, in most cases, this is simply because the person has never done SEO the right way. Once a website owner discovers the tangible results from their SEO efforts, it will become inescapably clear that SEO is in fact a vital component to the success of a website design project. Consider the fact that search engines drive 85% of traffic to websites and then imagine running a site that is not optimized for the search engines. A customer must be able to find your business in order to purchase a product or service. Running an online business without good SEO is like running a business that hardly anyone knows about.
5. No Fresh Content
Many clients looking for a new website design also overlook the importance of fresh content. The average website owner will tell a designer to just use the existing content on the site, whether it is because the client lacks enough time to write fresh content or simply believes that a fresh website only involves the look and feel, but not words. Through the eyes of the visitor, the content is just as important as the look and feel in terms of freshness. Many businesses change over time and if you are using the same content from five years ago, changes are something is out of date or no longer matches the brand you wish to project. Updating reused, old or stale content can mean the difference between the success and failure of your website design project.
6. No Call to Action
Every business website aims to influence a visitor to perform some type of action, step or process. Known as a “call to action,” this could be for a newsletter subscription, a lead submission, a purchase, a white paper download or simply a phone call. Of course, a website owner wants to position these call to action elements in the best possible manner, usually on the home page, sidebars and other main areas of the site. Without a call to action, you run the risk of visitors not knowing what your business has to offer or where to receive the offer. An online business without this structure is vulnerable to complete failure.
The best way to ensure the success of your website is to consult with a professional designer. A professional designer can take on the project for you while a website consultant can point you in all the right directions. The small delay spent on introspection, education and research is often well worth it as this will help guide your project towards a successful outcome.
Categories: Search Engine Optimization, Website Design
