5 Common Problems with SMB Websites + How to Fix Them

by Liz Hersh | May 27, 2016 | Featured Articles, Website Design

5 Common Problems with SMB Websites + How to Fix Them

Meet the Author

Liz Hersh is the founder of Hersh PR and Marketing, a digital marketing agency. Together with a team of marketing professionals she helps clients generate leads and increase revenue.

Small Business Websites Lack a Strong User Experience

Your website is still a critical touch point in your sales process, giving you the opportunity to connect with potential customers and demonstrate your ability to deliver an amazing service. Maintaining a website that connects with and converts leads is crucial to growing your business.

After building and maintaining hundreds of small business websites, we’ve seen several patterns emerge. These five common problems that can negatively affect your website’s performance. The good news is that these challenges are easy to solve with a little time and the right resources.

Poor Mobile Experience

83% of mobile users say that a seamless experience across all devices is very important and yet only 17% of websites are considered mobile friendly by Google.

When building your website, take into consideration all screen sizes and build it according to the latest responsive design standards. Now more than ever, people are accessing websites from their mobile devices. Today’s tech tools make it easy to build beautiful looking mobile websites that result in positive interactions with your brand.

How to Fix It: Invest in mobile responsive design so your customers have the best experience on your website on their devices.

Missing a Clear Call to Action

Conversions require a relevant call to action (CTA) that’s easily visible. A call to action moves a customer closer to working with you. Potential customers won’t be inclined to take the next step if it’s unclear what they should do next.

Is the first step in your buyer’s journey educational? Perhaps they should download a free guide or review product specs.

Is your product highly customizable for the unique needs of each client? Perhaps you want to highlight case studies that demonstrate your ability to partner with customers and solve complex problems.

The customer journey is different for every business. It’s your job to test and understand what moves them closer to becoming a customer with the right CTAs placed strategically around your website.

How to Fix It: Make it clear and obvious what you want the website visitor to do. Include several different types of CTAs throughout your site. Measure and track your progress to see what performs the best.

Zero On-Page Optimization

Optimizing for Google strengthens consumer trust and value. When a business ranks high in organic search results, it generates a certain level of trust, respect and credibility which are necessary for brands relying on digital channels for leads.

Visibility on the internet involves technical and creative and strategies to encourage traffic, leads and sales – but optimization isn’t one and done. It’s an ongoing task. While the frequency of these updates will be determined by the competitiveness of your specific niche/keywords, you must make this a priority.

How to Fix It: Make sure you periodically update on-page elements like title tags and meta descriptions. Keep the content (blogs and case studies) and imagery updated as well.

Completely Ignoring Your Small Business Website

As many small and mid-size businesses discover, managing and maintaining a website can be especially challenging if you don’t partner the right professional. Front-end content updates are essential to demonstrate your expertise. And technical support ensures your site remains up and running.

Without the proper support, many websites are left for dead. Your website should do more than simply exist! It’s a tool that can communicate valuable information about your business and your services. It’s easy to spot a website that hasn’t been touched: the graphics begin to look dated, blog content is old and the mobile experience is less than ideal.

How to Fix It: If you’re unable to hire an in-house professional, it’s best to outsource this work to a trusted partner, freeing up your internal team to focus on what they do best.

Not Giving Visitors a Reason to Stay on Your Site

Do the visitors of your website leave after just checking out a few articles or pages?

Do they spend significant amounts of time surfing your website?

A little more than half of all website visitors spend less than 15 seconds on any given website, and we obviously want these visitors to hang around longer than that.

Publishing original content such as blog articles, case studies, podcasts, videos or white papers gives visitors a reason to explore your website. As you build trust and credibility, your website becomes a more powerful sales tool for you. Search engines continue to reward new content, so keep this in mind if your goal is to attract more organic traffic.

How to Fix It: Develop a content strategy to position your SMB as a thought-leader. Commit to something manageable, even if it’s one new piece of content per month.

Next Steps for Your SMB

Remember that a website is always in development. The time and energy you spent on your current website was not wasted – it’s a great place to start. Now is the time to update your site so it converts leads and grows your business.

Hopefully the tips above will help improve website conversions. Have more questions about improving your website? Reach out to us directly.

Editor’s Note: This article was last updated in April 2021.

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Why Website Content Matters + How to Update It

by Liz Hersh | May 16, 2016 | Featured Articles, Marketing, Website Design

Why Website Content Matters + How to Update It

Content Provides Value and Supports Your Digital Strategy

A well-rounded digital marketing strategy includes many elements. From paid ads to organic search engine marketing, your brand needs to be present and visible on numerous channels. However, there is an underlying component that fuels it all: content.

Content is arguably the most important component of your digital marketing and your website. It can set you apart from the masses by demonstrating your knowledge, expertise and capabilities. Other elements such as design, photography and video are important, but it’s the content that will speak directly to the customer’s needs and wants.

Content is also present in every step of the sales funnel. When your audience is looking for a solution to their problem, they seek professional insight in the form of blog articles, checklists or white papers. When your audience is closer to making a purchase, they will further explore your services, case studies or testimonials.

The bottom line is that along with having a great design for your website, it’s also vital that the information you’re providing is high-quality, relevant, and can convert visitors into qualified leads.

Quality Content on Your Website

What is quality content and how can it be incorporated into your website? It can take many forms but there are several elements that all high-quality content contains.

It Provides Value: Your audience wants a solution to their problem. To craft high-quality content, it’s necessary to understand exactly what your audience needs and wants. When you understand their pain points and goals, you can write content that directly addresses them.

It Has a Long Lifespan: The term “evergreen content” refers to content that remains useful for many months or even years after its initial publish date. It can be shared many times over or repurposed into different formats like video and podcasts.

It Fuels Your Digital Strategy: As mentioned, content is the foundation for most digital marketing strategies. From email marketing to social media to PPC ads, you can attract and engage your ideal audience with the right content.

It Moves Your Audience Through the Sales Funnel: Great content can help you build relationships with an audience and inspire them to take action. Think about and craft content that is not only informational, but also inspiring, motivational and directs the reader to next steps.

Keep the Content on Your Website Updated

Actively maintaining the content on your website can be a significant undertaking. Everything ranging from blog articles to service pages need periodic updates. Unfortunately, many SMBs have an outdated website. A website should never be stagnant. An untouched site creates a disconnect for your audience and potentially harms the brand you’ve spent time building.

Publishing new content or updating existing content is well worth the investment. If it’s done correctly, you’ll see an improvement in your search rankings and improved engagement on your site. Here are several suggestions to ensure your content conveys the right message:

Update Older Pages and Articles

Posts and pages published years ago need periodic updates to ensure they remain evergreen. Updating statistics, timelines and major milestones ensures that you maintain your authority and trustworthiness as a source. Updating your pages/posts will also signal to search engines that a page is still relevant to searchers.

Revamp Your Keyword Strategy

Search intent and keyword trends are always changing. You should continually reassess your keyword strategy when updating your content. You might have pages ranking for keywords that no longer generate the search volume they once did. This could be an opportunity to refresh the content and target new keywords.

Create a Website Content Calendar

A documented content schedule will help you stay consistent with your updates. It can keep you focused on the content that’s relevant to your audience. You can also keep track of when pages and articles were last updated, or make note of new content ideas.

Final Thoughts

As search engines get smarter and buyers get more selective, your written message is more important than ever. As time consuming as it is, the dedication you give to updating your content contributes to short and long-term success. Your audience will appreciate the value you provide, and you’ll enjoy strong growth and conversion rates.

Hopefully the tips above will help improve your website content. Have more questions about running successful marketing campaigns? Reach out to us directly.

Editor’s Note: This article was last updated in June 2021.

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