6 common (and irritating) problems with small business websites

With millions of small businesses operating in the UK, staying ahead of the competition has never been more important. You can do this is by making sure your website clearly shows what your business offers; is easy for customers to navigate; is fully responsive; and is working as it should be.

Many smaller companies just like yours are losing important business because issues with their website are stopping would-be customers from converting. We’ve rounded up some of the most common and irritating problems small businesses suffer from. Do any sound familiar?

1. Old, outdated content

Potential customers and clients aren’t going to be impressed with old content that talks about services you no longer offer, and a blog that hasn’t been updated since 2014. By continually refreshing your content, your customers and clients will be kept well up to date with the services and products your business provides.

Regularly adding new content can also improve your search engine ranking, but no copying and pasting from other sites, because Google can tell!

2. Out-of-date technology

If your website was designed a while ago, chances are it’s only suitable for desktop use. This means you could be missing out on business from customers searching for companies like yours on their smartphones and tablets, so make sure your site is fully responsive across all devices.

Furthermore, your site should have all necessary tools for customer management, from inquiry and contact forms to an area where they can sign up and subscribe. Having links to all of your social media pages prominently displayed also gives customers another way of interacting with you.

3. Performance isn’t monitored effectively

How are you going to know which areas are performing better than others if you don’t monitor all of your site’s activity? Make sure your site is set up to track all important information, as this will help you review and improve your online presence, and your business.

4. The site isn’t maintained well

Without regular maintenance and updates, your site becomes vulnerable to hacking and security threats. Make sure you establish a system for updating and maintenance to keep your site secure for both you and your customers.

5. Customers can’t find you

If you aren’t getting as much business as you would like, your SEO strategy might need reviewing. Your site needs to be ranking on at least the first page of Google’s search results if you want to have a chance against your biggest competitors, as this will give customers the best opportunity of finding you.

6. It has a poor design

Sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with the site itself in terms of security, maintenance or reliability, but the business itself simply isn’t taking full advantage of the opportunity to showcase what they’re about.

Make sure your site uses eye-catching colours as part of a simple yet memorable design. Create a logo that is instantly recognisable and use it to build up a strong brand. The more your site stands out, the more potential customers will be drawn to it.

Is your website running slowly but you’re not sure why? Maybe you’re failing to attract the customers you need to keep the business afloat. Whatever issue you’re having, get in touch with T&G Web Design for a free website check-up now. We’ll analyse your site, assess the problem and tell you how it could be improved.