Did you know that around seven in 10 small businesses have a website? However, considering there are around 1.88 billion websites, having a website isn’t nearly enough. Just because you build it doesn’t necessarily mean they — consumers — will come.
For one thing, having a website doesn’t necessarily mean your target demographic will find you. That’s what effective search engine optimization is about. Another thing to consider is website design.
The last thing you need is to design a website, pay to get it online, and find that consumers aren’t digging it. But that’s a real possibility if you consider website design a DIY affair and make mistakes the pros never would.
Many DIY website builders promise to help anyone — even if they know nothing about the basics of HTML or any programming language — build “professional” websites. If you want a truly professional website that functions well, builds trust, and encourages consumers to make positive buying decisions, it pays to invest in the services of a website design company.
Bad website design isn’t an option since it can drive away consumers, harm your search engine rankings, and cost you money because of lost sales opportunities.
Here are three mistakes DIY website designers often make — and why hiring a pro works best.
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Neglecting Mobile Internet Users
According to Statista, the number of mobile internet users in the U.S. was on pace to go north of 300 million last year. Everyone isn’t logging on to the internet from their home computer or laptop. You need to ensure your website displays well on big screens and small screens.
Some consumers will try to access your website on their smartphones or tablets. If they have to zoom, pinch, or wait too long for your website to load on their mobile devices, they may exit. Those missed sales opportunities can add up.
A professional website designer will ensure your website functions properly, regardless of the size of the screen. You’ll attract consumers who don’t immediately bounce because of technical difficulties.
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Slow Load Times
Another problem that DIY’ers might encounter is slow load times. Internet users aren’t interested in waiting forever for your website to load. Some sources say they’re likely to abandon a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. If you build a decent website using a website building tool, all that work will go out the window if the loading time is too slow.
Unoptimized code, large image files, and other things can overwhelm your site. That’s why it’s best to hire a website design agency that can build you a professional website that loads fast. Fewer internet users will bounce from your site when they can get what they want without an unnecessarily long delay.
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Poor Navigation
Yet another mistake to avoid at all costs is poor navigation. Consumers won’t be pleased if they can’t find what they want. If you use a website builder, you could end up with a website featuring confusing menus, hard-to-find navigation elements, and inconsistent page structures.
When you hire a pro to build you a professional website, your website visitors will get a clear navigation experience. It’ll be intuitive and help people find what they want. Moreover, visitors will reach the pages they want with the fewest number of clicks possible.
If you want a website that performs, it makes sense to hire a website design agency. A page plagued by poor design is arguably worse than having no website at all since your target demographic not only won’t patronize your company, but also will form a negative opinion about your business. An expert will give you a professional online storefront that gives the sort of return on investment that justifies the cost of hiring a professional.
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