10 Bad Website mistakes for small businesses
We came across this blog on unstuckdigital.com, and it struck home for us. Service Central is completely behind the digital revolution and we've been educating trades businesses for years about how necessary a web presence is. But it's not all about just having a web presence - it's also about making it a good one.
While this blog is filled with vitriol about the mistakes that small business websites make, it does make a few good points so it's worth a read. The one about hiding your people (#10) struck a cord with us - we've seen many a website with pictures of the team and that's really where a small business can win, by letting your customers see who's behind the name!
Some of the mistakes that we see crop up in this list, but we've got a few more too!
Overuse of colour and design
Lots of colour is not eye-catching - it's an eye-sore. Decide on a basic colour palette of two or three colours that don't clash, and stick to those. Changeable text is also a no-no - stick to one font and stay away from using italics, capital letters and lots of underlining.
Online enquiry forms fail
Your website advertising your trades business is meant to drive people to contacting your company. People are less likely to do it if they need something fast and don't know how long they'll wait for a response. Make it obvious how long people will wait for a response, and you'll get more enquiries.
Obviously, stick to your promise. Every inbound enquiry costs you money, just like a lead from Service Central. So not calling the customer back is a waste.Surveys have shown that this is a huge issue in the trades and home services industry.
Asking for too much detail. If your form is too long it will deter people from filling it in.
Not displaying your Service Central feedback
Service Central has built an easy way for you to put your Service Central feedback onto your website. Make the most out of your positive testimonials - head to our FAQ to find out how to do this today or call your Account Manager for help.
What websites have you seen recently that are just awful? What have you recently done to your website to make it better?
