I love super hero movies. My husband grew up on comic books. So, the current movie craze with super hero stories (especially Marvel) keeps us going back to theatres. My confession is that I have a heart for the super villains, especially those who were good and turned bad and still struggle with that pull on their conscience. (My current favorite is Loki, but that is a subject for another blog).
Enjoy my favorite scene between Thor and his brother, Loki:
How can a website be compared to a super villain? Well, I can make lots of connections, but I am mostly thinking in terms of answering the question, what makes a good website turn bad?
You may have a website that was good or at least seemed to be. Now, it has turned bad and is not performing as well as you would like. Your website traffic isn’t growing and those visitors who do come, don’t stick around long enough to become customers. You are starting to ask “what happened to my perfectly good website that is turning people off?”
There are many factors to consider, in order to make a good website. Some will shift depending on your industry and your internet marketing goals. Maybe your website has a few things in common with many super villains. Here are 3 factors to consider about your own website:
1. Self-Centeredness makes a good website turn bad.
Is your website ALL about YOU? Of course it is, because it is your website! But is it so self-centered that everyone else is turned off by it? Here are a few sample questions to ask and assess if self-centeredness made your good website turn bad:
Is the design your favorite and your favorite colors? Or did you think through your brand, how colors affect people’s decisions and how your website stacks up against the competition?
One of the first errors we see business owners make is wanting a website design that they like, with the colors and images they prefer, instead of thinking about what their customers think and what will engage them.
Another aspect of what makes a good website self-centered is the content. Yes, your website is a big piece of marketing your business, so you do need to have content and website pages that talk about your business and what you do. But what makes a good website really great is when you address your visitor, your leads and your customers with how your business can help them. What benefits will they receive, how can you help them solve the problems they are facing, how is your product or service going to make their lives better.
2. A loooooooooong drawn out Monologue makes a good website turn bad.
You know which scenes I am talking about- the scene when the super villain goes on and on and on and doesn’t take the action to eliminate the hero. Of course the hero escapes his grasp- once again! The whole time you’re thinking- stop talking and do it! But they never do-(or the movie and the entire series would end).
A similar mistake can also be why your perfectly good website is not converting online traffic and visitors into leads. Do you have a call to action for your visitors to DO something? Or do you have pages and pages of monologue that give them a great way to escape and never return? If you don’t give your visitors something to do, some way to interact, you will not keep them around for very long and they certainly won‘t have a reason to come back.
3. Disarrangement makes a good website turn bad.
Many super villains are also super intelligent and not always super organized. They can talk in circles or in code that only they understand. Don’t make this mistake on your website. Your visitors and potential customers don’t usually have the same understanding of a subject, as you do (hence, this is why you are the expert). Keep your level of writing to an 8th grade level. Keep your text clear and concise. Use language that will resonate with your website visitors and speak to their emotions. Visitors appreciate content that is helpful and easy to understand.
The ability to move around easily and navigate webpages is another factor that can make or break it for a good website. No matter how engaging your content is or what you have to offer, if your visitors have to dig down and navigate pits of lava, they are never going to find what they are looking for. In website terms, they will bounce. Simplify your website and clearly label tabs so they speak to what the visitor is looking for.
Websites not performing well, aren’t a total loss. These factors are ones that can easily be amended- probably easier than a super villain’s heart. But you do need to put time, resources and thought into building an internet marketing strategy that will work for your industry and your specific business. Just as each super villain is unique, each business is unique. So as you are getting answers to your question as to what makes a good website, remember this: How you present your business and your brand to your website visitors can turn the tide and convert visitors to leads and leads to customers.
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