(RushPRnews 6-16-05) Common Mistakes on web business sites.

No name site names: This means if your site is about breeding frogs but its title is Jacks place. It's called a no name, meaning it's non-informative. Make the site name reflects its content.

Download time: Keep it short: Do not make them wait for it. You need product images etc., but you do not need or want all the flash and dash. Keep it simple. Large flash animation's, or jumping about ad banners, graphics following the mouse pointer, or a ton of animated gif. or worse animated backgrounds ! There are sites where it makes sense, for instance if you are an artist. Do not do it just because you think it will draw attention. Most people find it annoying.

WAV files: The same goes for music. I can think of one type of business page that it made any sense. The sites for mp3 down loads for musicians. If you feel you must put music on the page, put an off button in plain sight at the top and bottom of the page.

Ad pop ups: Everybody hates them. Period, they are not a good marketing strategy and almost everybody has a pop killer now and will never see them.

Too Wide: Check the site out in different resolutions. Make it too large and you just condemned about half your viewers to a side scroll bar, which means scroll down, scroll left, read, scroll right scroll down...... you see that is happening here ? People will put up with that for about 30 seconds. It does happen occasionally due to a browser mismatch and no fault of yours, build the site to the medium norm, which is 800 by 600 at the moment. Anything more and you force a side scroll.

Dynamic content: News feed, stock quotes and headlines only make sense if that is your business. It just slows down your site.

No links page: This one I see a lot, the web runs on reciprocity, If you don't have a links page for your business you have no way to have that many in-bound links, as you have no place to make an exchange, no in-bound links means low page rank

Test Your Site: Site errors, they happen. Run your site as if you where a customer, especially after you make changes. Nothing worse than page not found, because of some link error you could have avoided.

No Contact Information: Now I know we all do not want to hang our address out there on every page as some suggest but at least your real name, a picture, an email address? Put the address on your printable order form or about us page. However, let people know you are a real person. Do not make it harder that it has to be for your clients to contact you. This just makes people think you have something to hide. And for a business site that's a no-no.

Navigation: I have a whole article on this because it is a common problem, make it simple and consistent.

Credibility: Make it credible. Make sure they know their personal and payment information is secure. Privacy polices, terms of service statements, payment information, refund polices. This is a business, it should look like one. If it does not have these things, most people will not buy and who can blame them they are being given no assurances. In the real world, you can go back to the store to complain, on the net there is less ability to reach the seller. Therefore, as seller you have to go out of your way to reassure the buyer of your credibility.

Customer Service: Email the customer back right. Check the mail daily, several times a day. This is where E-commerce really falls compared to live. Being able to reach the seller to ask questions.

Disappearing Act: Offline for days, weeks, and months, for updates or moving. It is the same as putting a pad lock the door. If you must be offline, put up something that tells them why and when you expect to back or where you went.

Outdated information: Update often. It demonstrates that you are a lively and growing business.

Dreaded red X: This means an image did not download, which looks like hell on any web site. The impression it gives, is someone is not minding the store. It may not even be your fault. Part of a banner exchange etc.? Host the image yourself rather than a remote call. It's not worth the saving in band wt. to have it not show up if the other site fails to send it.

Copycat sites: Yes one should copy things that work, but not to the point where your site cannot be told from your competitor. Be original.

Under Construction: All sites are, by definition, always under construction, so do not say this. If you do not tell them, they will never know its half finished. Better to say check this page for updates. :)

No prices: Even if the price varies depending of the project, provide your visitors with a price range.

Forced registration: That in order to buy or even think about buying I have to log in and join the site, have passwords, etc. I refuse to do it and so do most people, as everybody knows why you do it. If your e-store software came this way, they have done you a disservice.

No shopping cart: With the availability of free services for shopping carts, it makes no sense to be without one. If the client has to write it all out and email it to order anything, they will go somewhere else. People shop the net because it is easy; therefore keep it easy for your clients.

Site accessibility for persons with disabilities and the elderly: This one is tricky, but needful, alt statements, large enough font sizes, contrast, ways and means to get around the site for mobility impaired. You lose a large segment of possible customers if you do not consider this.

No options for payment: Not everybody wants to put their credit card or ATM information on the net. Offer your viewer alternative ways to buy.

Misrepresentation: If the images you show distort the color etc. of an item, your customer is going to be upset when they get it. Make sure that the images you present, come as close as possible to what they get.

Spam: It is easy to get a mailing list, they are for sale everyday. However, annoying thousands to gain a few possible sales is not an option for a reputable seller. Not to mention, currently illegal.

Regular retail prices: If your customer can get the same thing, in a local store at that price, why would they buy from you and pay shipping? It costs less to run a web store, pass on some of the savings to your customers.

Ignoring foreign visitors: The web is world wide, and you will get visitors who do not read your language. Put in a link to a translation program, like Alta Vista Babblefish. Which also argues the point of having all relevant information in text form, translators cannot translate images.

No search engine: If you sell many things, do not make them wade through it all to find what they want, have a localized search engine for the site and put it where they can see it right off.

I am sure you can think of more, but in short anything that stands in the way of your customer and the goods you wish to sell, should be avoided if possible.

Merry shopping

Article written by Esta Weiss The Web Witch Web Designer and SEO
Edited and proofread by Anne Laszlo-Howard
Distributed and published by RushPRnews.
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