Would you go back to a restaurant where the tables were dirty and the floors were covered with leftover food?
Would you enter a shoe store that had old, worn out shoes in the display window?
Would you buy advice on organizing your closets from someone with a cluttered office?
Just as in these brick and mortar examples your website’s appearance and ease of navigation is a direct reflection of you, your company and your products and can literally make, or break your business.
And it takes the average online visitor just seconds to decide whether they like the look and feel of your site and if they can begin to trust you as a credible resource. If they do, you’re over the first hump. If not, it’s all over. They won’t be back.
That’s why it’s vitally important that you do everything in your power to ensure that your website is welcoming and easy to read and use.
Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Sure. I mean, how hard can it be? Not awfully. But that’s just the problem. It’s fairly simply and just about anybody can create a website. So many entrepreneurs do just that. They slap something up without giving it much thought, and it shows. Their websites are filled with irksome animations, tiny print and garish colors. They have links that go nowhere and their visitors leave – overwhelmed, confused and/or irritated.
Even worse, they don’t succeed in building mailing lists, developing relationships or making money. Then some really nice people with cool online products go out of business and wonder what went wrong.
And although there are many other reasons why this happens, one thing is clear. Many online businesses go bust because their owners underestimate the importance of learning and adhering to essential web development, design and navigation principles. This is an extremely common, and lethal, mistake.
Do not fool yourself into thinking anyone can do this stuff and that it’s no big deal.
Do not invite anyone to your site until you are absolutely, positively, 100% sure that your visitors’ experience will be delightful.