Small business owners are commonly disappointed with the performance of their websites for several reasons.  In my experience, these include:

1. Unrealistic Expectations: Many small business owners have unrealistic expectations about what a website can achieve. Many think that simply having a website will automatically lead to a significant increase in sales or customers. When these high expectations aren’t met, they get disappointed.

2. Lack of Clear Goals: Some business owners create websites without clear goals or objectives in mind. Without a specific purpose or strategy, it’s difficult to measure the success of a website. Every website should have a defined purpose, such as generating leads, selling products, or providing information.

3. Poor Website Design: A poorly designed website can deter visitors and potential customers. If the website is difficult to navigate, unattractive, or not mobile-friendly, it can result in a negative user experience and drive visitors away.

4. Inadequate Marketing: Building a website is only the first step. Small business owners need to actively market their websites to drive traffic. Without effective marketing strategies, the website may not reach its target audience.

5. If your clients/customers search for your solution online, perhaps your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is insufficient: If a website doesn’t rank well in search engine results, it may not get the visibility it needs. Many small business owners underestimate the importance of SEO in driving organic traffic to their websites.

6. Lack of Regular Updates: Outdated content and an inactive website can give the impression that a business isn’t actively engaged or has gone out of business. Regularly updating and maintaining your website is essential for its effectiveness.

7. Ignoring Analytics: Small business owners often fail to monitor website analytics to understand visitor behavior and track the website’s performance. Analytics can provide valuable insights that help optimise the website for better results.

8. Not Investing in Professional Help: Building a successful website requires professional expertise in web design, development, content creation, and digital marketing. Some small business owners try to do everything themselves or cut corners by not hiring experts, which can lead to subpar results.

9. Inadequate Content: Content is a crucial aspect of a website’s success. If your content is poorly written, lacks value, or is not relevant to your target audience, it won’t engage visitors or encourage them to take action.

10. Competition and Saturation: In some industries, there is fierce competition and saturation in the online space. Small business owners may find it challenging to stand out and compete effectively in such environments.

To avoid disappointment and make the most of your websites, you should set clear goals, invest in professional assistance when needed, regularly update and market your websites, and pay attention to user feedback and analytics to make informed improvements. It’s also important to recognise that a website is just one part of your overall business strategy, and its success often depends on how well it integrates with other marketing and operational efforts.

The bottom line is this – be realistic, be patient, stay close to your website content and analytics and be proactive on making changes. 

Need help?

Would you like help to ‘Get comfy and confident on LinkedIn’ or to ‘Get your website looking and sounding like the real you’? Yes? Then book a chat directly in my diary. That way we can have a virtual coffee together to see if/how I might be able to help you. The call will cost you absolutely nothing, you’ll be under no obligation to do anything further AND I GUARANTEE you’ll get value from our call – otherwise I’ll pick up the tab for the virtual coffees 😂