Web Site Domain Mistakes Often Made
Focusing on immediate results often leads to ignoring goals, targets and the users visiting experience.
Unforeseen consequences are the price consumers and site creators pay for a short sighted get it done mentality.
1. THE BIGGEST WEB SITE DOMAIN ERROR
• The web is about ongoing daily changes that are part of marketing and its need for mind share.
• Understanding target markets, orgaization capabilities and digital messaging are basic pillars.
• Thousands of websites scream for attention with never ending new offerings.
• Websites that focus on earning 'top of mind' in their target demographic and psychographic markets succeed.
• Phone book websites (i.e. so folks can get in touch) - easily meet their open door goal.
• Tell and sell websites may see results, if only someone could find them and wade through all the words.
• Helping participation website visitors journey to their intent builds brands and target markets.
Open interaction doors, build new paths rather than just pick and click offerings.
Web sites indifferent to the visitors needs, using out of date content, or with beautiful but all be it oblivious to visitors intent, get what they deserve... a quick bounce away. Without unique relevant visitor interaction, what would drive search engines to ever suggest the site to a growing audience ?
Communicate an experience that is relevant to the visitor, that search engines can help you with.
2. SLOW & BROKEN WEB SITES
• Your web site was quick at the start. Today things have changed. New web technology, numerous updates and equipment changes have happened.
Death by a thousand cuts... performance is the price paid.
• Site visitors expect 'snappy' response of menaingful content. Search engines need sites with the newest content and fastest delivery. Hosting companies deliver them through IP addresses. Hundreds of thousands of domains are frequently delivered through just that one IP address's equipment. Any one of those domains get black listed, that shared IP shares the black listing. Any domains with errors impact all other domains as their slow performance, errors or problems create delays and time outs.
• Being fast is the criteria for search engines their users and their advertisers. Slowly delivered content is unseen content no one cares about.
If you don't care about poor operation why would you expect others to care more than you ?
3. MEANINGFUL CONTENT ON EACH WEB PAGE
• Your web site reflects who you are, what is unique about you and a tone of interacting expectation.
• A pretty web site tells visitors your company values 'image'. Unexpected or no meaningful content also tells the site visitor further interaction provides no benefit.
A site visitor trades minutes of their life for what a web site offers. No meaningful content means they 'bounce' of to another site in seconds... never to return.
4. NOT ADVERTISING YOU WEB DOMAIN NAME
• Why would you want to hide a chance to tell folks about your domain... or help them contact you...when what they want is top of mind and important to them ?
• Take every opportunity to let interested folks know you care... open to what they are looking.
The whole point of the internet is to be the pathway to a cost effective interaction.
5. ASSUMPTIONS, USING THE WRONG WORDS, KEYWORDS or WORD ENTITIES
• There is a world of difference in how words come across... "I'm not interested in wasting MY time." and "YOUR time is valuable so lets not waste it." Simple words can be used in a context that draws attention. Thousands of web sites use the word 'services" towards their goals. How can a search engine make certain it is showing the right information, unless the right words supply context. Pictures without alt tags are not seen by search engines.
6. IMAGES MATTER
• "Words" do matter. "Images" matter MORE. Today "video" matters even MORE. The most successful communication has the highest density of content... letting both parties understand each other quickly. Would you rather read a thousand words of see the author talking ?
7. DON'T THROW YOU AUDIENCE AWAY
• Links to social media were put on websites to allow visitors to review the site and its offerings. Unfortunately, now they are an assumed item used without consideration of their benefit. Why would you want your site visitor to leave your website? Consider that your site visitor will be exposed to their ability to trap, distract and confuse folks. They are good at it because they earn their living by getting more ads exposed to their traffic. Instead of driving traffic to social media think of social media as a source of traffic you bring to your website.