Top 6 Problems I Found in Local Business Websites
I spent a few hours this morning reviewing websites in Travelers Rest. Some I found through Google, and others were through the GreaterTRChamber website. Below is a list of the top issues I found with MANY of the websites.
1. E-mail addresses that use GMail, Yahoo, Earthlink, Hotmail, Bellsouth, and AOL instead of your business domain name. For example, I use brady@callbrady.com instead of callbrady@gmail.com as my primary address. Using a free IP address decreases the perceived legitimacy of your business, or makes you look like a startup business instead of an established one.
2. Dated websites or website templates that don’t perform well on mobile. If your website is more than 3 years old, it may be time for a refresh. New technologies allow your site to work just as well on mobile as they do on a desktop computer. Pull your site up on your phone and see how it looks. Take a look at my site: callbrady.com. If you pull it up on your desktop and then drag the corners of your browser in, you will see how it adapts to smaller screens. Neat, huh? I actually just re-launched my site this week because the previous version didn’t look that great on mobile.
3. Missing Google Local information. THIS ONE IS HUGE!! Do a Google search for Call Brady. On the right side of your screen (or at the top on mobile) you will see an reviews, address, hours, and photos, ALL from within Google.com. On mobile, visitors can click my phone number to call right away (without manually typing in the number), or click the address to have their GPS navigate to my office. Type in your business name. Are all your bases covered?
4. Hard to find contact information. Do you have a menu of links at the top or side of your website? Contact Us should be the LAST link in the list. This is “industry standard.” If your contact link is in the middle, many people will struggle to find it.
5. Difficult to read fonts or contrast issues. Does your site have dark text on a dark background? Light text on a light background? You may be able to read it just fine, but folks with vision issues or different screen types may struggle to see key information. Leave your most imporant information as dark on light (black text on a white background, for example). Also, don’t forget that fancy fonts, while they may pretty, can be VERY difficult for some to read.
6. No website at all! Inconceivable!
I hope you’ve found this information helpful. If you’d like to discuss your website or website needs, please don’t hesitate to call me at 864-335-8672, or reply to this E-mail. I offer new website designs or ‘refreshed’ websites at a very reasonable cost and with fast turn-around.
I wish you great success in your Travelers Rest business, and may we all continue to serve our customers and our community well!
Brady Gilbert