Having a website in the era of the internet is no more a luxury, it’s a NECESSITY. No matter what you have to offer to your audience, they should be able to search you online.
Mistakes are a part of the process of every aspect of this world it is natural to commit them. Mistakes are unavoidable, but if you are aware from day one, they can be minimized. And talking about websites, most of us tend to do a lot of mistakes online that will cost you a mammoth in the near future. So, here I am with a quick list of common mistakes that most of us make before the commencement of a website, to keep you aware and informed:
No business plan
Life is not a wish-granting factory and dreaming of irresistible traffic within a week of domain-purchase will not be granted. I know it’s difficult to accept when you are relying on the income it would generate, but it’s always wise to have a clear picture before you begin.
Remember, you will be investing a huge amount of resources and if you don’t have a business plan ready, it will all be for nothing. Certainly, preparing a business plan is not a child’s play. It requires hard work, patience and a lot of research, but it will turn out to be your blueprint of success in the future when you are busy with the operations.
Talking about the marketing plan, like said before, you would not have traffic as soon as you have your own domain, but a marketing plan would assist you in getting website traffic, converting visitors to customers. So, before you set any foot forward, make sure you have both your business and marketing plan sorted.
Not preserving the online heritage
Online heritage? What am I at all talking about? I am talking about the immense evolution of your website – right from the times when it was only about cyber cafés, to household PC’s and now smartphones. All of us have come a long way. But how would you back that up? Do you have any record that would say for you? Have you preserved your online heritage? Most of you would be like ‘Shit, no!’ Don’t worry, it’s not too late if you begin now! Web archiving Tools like Stillio can be of great help if you don’t want to put in a lot of human efforts.
It’s not a lot of work!
For all those thinking that you just need to purchase your own domain, design your own website and that’s it. Well, it’s not so easy! This is just the first step in the ocean. In fact, website maintenance demands more work than most of the activities of a business. You have to adopt trial and error techniques to comprehend what works for your audience, analyze the results, execute the strategies and the list is practically endless. Even if you are planning to outsource it, you will always have to have an eye on it. Remember, it represents your business structure, so you can’t just develop it once and forget about it.
Picking any host and e-commerce platform
There are a number of free hosts out there and choosing them over the paid services might feel a lot more feasible and affordable. Considering that at the initial stages of your business, you need to take care of your financial health, it does not look like a bad option either. But wait, would you like your website not getting the desired attention, people not taking your website seriously and other such issues related to free hosts? So now you know why choosing a credible domain name becomes important. And talking about e-commerce platforms, research and shortlist the ones who have earned a good name in the industry. Trust me, either of them will not be a bad investment.
Design and message don’t compliment
Your websites need to aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing. No doubt about that. But what about the matter, is that spot-on? Or let me ask you the exact opposite – the matter is in place – but what about the design? A successful website is a creative tandem of design and content so that your message is successfully interpreted by your viewers. If either of them fails and the balance is not right, your viewers would be distracted and ultimately leave your portal without further activity. This makes it very crucial to understand the importance of right balance.
For one last time, mistakes are learning – don’t be afraid of them, just be cautious!