Why Do Some Websites Fail?
Websites are a cornerstone for most serious businesses, but without taking the right steps they may be doomed to fail.
With the emergence of smartphones and the use of app technology as a common standard of everyday life, many websites are becoming obsolete.
At the same time, as more and more businesses go digital, online competition is fierce, and startups or companies with limited budgets or development resources can be tempted to cut corners with their websites.
In order to understand the flaws of websites – and how to avoid them – let’s take a closer look at some crucial points that can lead to the ultimate success or failure of your website:
Low Budget
Today it’s not very hard to find DIY web design platforms like the increasingly popular Wix. Thanks to such programs, individuals with little to no web design experience are having a go at making their own websites
Though it’s possible to find many visually pleasing templates to use, creating a positive user experience takes a lot more than just an attractive webpage template.
Those who have an “I can do it myself” mentality without the know-how and expertise often find themselves at a loss before they even get started.
Many people believe they can learn to do anything online successfully but this is not the case for many. The DIY approach can save money at first but it can ultimately be both a drain on your own time and resources, as well as give your users a sense of unproefessionalism and low quality. Although having a website built professionally might cost more in the short term, in the long run it will probably be worth it.
Poor Design
Many startups operating on a low budget are not willing to pay for quality design in order to cut costs. What kind of impression does this give to a potential partner or investor?
Unless a blogger has direct experience with web design, a DIY approach may have holes in the UI and come off as unprofessional.
Many believe that they can do everything better since they know what they want, but the truth is that in most cases this puts a cap on quality and in most cases the result is mediocre at best.
Outsourcing work to specialists and delegating tasks is much safer than taking a DIY approach which limits the potential of your website. The initial investment might seem unnecessary, but will pay off in the long run.
It is far more important to focus on the higher profile, core business tasks than losing time working on tedious details that can be delegated to a very affordable virtual assistant overseas.
Lack of Quality Content
It is not uncommon for bloggers who are trying their hand at developing a startup company to become overwhelmed by all their new responsibilities.
This may lead to rushed content creation which lacks good editing to verify it is following a standard of quality. Small typos and grammar mistakes can have a disastrous effect on a website and brand’s image, a lack of professionalism.
Another common mistake that leads to unsuccessful content creation is overgeneralization. Unique content is good to avoid major competition, but without finding a niche market with enough demand, chances are you will not reach a significant audience.
Creative and entertaining writing is essential to grip users and keep them coming back. Simply stating facts or repeating information that can be found elsewhere does not cut it for most people. Adding some edge or controversy to your content can go a long way, as long as it remains within the bounds of genuine writing – and relevant to your target audience.
Lack of planning can lead to irrelevant or undesirable content. It is important to analyze your target market and set attainable goals that will maximize your content’s visibility and impact.
By being aware of trending keywords and existing competitors, you can create unique content that is in line with user interests. Overlooking this can lead to low traffic and the consequent failure of your website.
Poor Monetization Methods
Most inexperienced bloggers who are having a go at creating a website are not aware of the different monetization methods.
The first go-to is most commonly Google AdSense and Amazon Affiliate programs. However, these are only effective for sites that already have high web traffic.
Overlooking different ways to monetize your website – like the implementation of membership options and affiliate information product ads – can make it costly to maintain your website properly.
The Importance of Analytics
Observing the rise of smart websites and their efficiency, the importance of implementing analytics is becoming more obvious.
Keeping track of website traffic to better understand user behavior allows you to make consistent improvements to optimize your business.
Many sites do not adjust to develop over time and eventually become obsolete as they cannot keep up with their competitors.
Low Commitment and Consistency
Though making a website today is easier than it ever was, it takes a while for them to get off the ground and start receiving significant traffic.
In a society that is increasingly used to instant gratification, many expect quick results and attractive rewards, but this is not the reality when it comes to making a great website. To achieve success here, patience is truly a virtue.
Websites must be constantly updated and improved to keep up with evolving UX standards.
As online competition is at an all time high and smart websites with effective analytics are on the rise, it is more important than ever to make a consistent effort to improve your website
It can take a year or more to accumulate enough organic traffic on a website before it gets recognized and ranked by top search engines.
In order for your website to succeed you must keep it active with quality content over a long period of time to create a positive reputation and gain a loyal following. Relying strictly on organic traffic will put you at the mercy of Google, which can unexpectedly lower your ranking, resulting in a major loss of traffic.
Loss of Interest
Now that making a website is a more accessible task to accomplish – thanks to supportive web design programs and more affordable designing services – any blogger who decides they want to create a site can do so without putting much effort into it.
However, once they realize that this may take more time and effort than they expected, they may lose interest and move on to the next project. This often results in an abandonment of the website.
Some bloggers may have high expectations and become discouraged when they do not see immediate positive results from their new website.
People who think they can launch a website and reach a solid, consistent following within a few months may be in for a rude awakening.
It can take five or more years to establish a successful website with reliable traffic which one can call a success. This lack of awareness can lead to great disillusion for those who believe this is a quick and easy task.
Choosing the Right Niche
With an overabundance of online products and services, it can be a challenge to find the right niche to focus on.
While coming up with an original idea that has not yet been attempted or developed is extremely difficult, the key is finding a market that is not inundated by competition.
Keyword research is an essential precursor to content creation. Without identifying the most sought-after language to use in your content and assessing whether the competition is manageable, it is unlikely that you will reach a large audience.
Without doing extensive research to find a niche that is both in demand and not dominated by well-established competitors, it is near impossible to guarantee any kind of success.
Lack of Marketing Plan
Though creating high quality content is crucial to website success, promoting your content is even more important.
If you have great content but not many viewers, what good is it really?
Many experienced webmasters and bloggers say that more time should be spent on marketing than content creation.
Effective distribution of content increases visibility and leads to higher levels of audience engagement.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential to ensuring your content can reach a wide audience to generate sufficient traffic on your website.
Working with other bloggers, using appropriate metatags and titles for your content, and ensuring you have a well-structured back-end system will help you optimize your website to generate as much traffic as possible.
Ultimately, without a solid marketing plan, it is unlikely that your content will reach a large audience, resulting in low traffic and the potential failure of your website.
So, whether you want to launch a small startup or are looking to grow your business into the next level, taking the time to carefully plan your website’s development is crucial to achieving success.
For more advice on how to develop the ultimate website get in touch with us here.
