7 Mistakes Businesses Make in Web Development

Your website should be built like your company’s best weapon. But somehow, most businesses get this crucial step wrong.

A strong website should generate leads or entice your consumers to make the sale, and you should rethink your strategy if it isn’t giving you the results you need. Did you know that 75% of people judge a company’s credibility based on its website’s design?

At Digital Assassin, we’ve met many friendly, genuine business owners who want to solve their customer's problems with their products or services. But unfortunately, their website doesn’t back up their offline sales pitch. 

We also see many websites failing to focus on the customer’s issues. Instead, these sites spend too much space talking about the company. If your website is guilty of these two accounts, read on as we navigate the common mistakes businesses make in web development, and how you can build a site that speaks to your customers, ranks in SEO, and gets you quality leads and sales. 

#Mistake 1: No Clear Objective

What is your end goal for building a website? Is it to generate leads? To rank on Google’s first page? To increase sales? Just like any mission, having a clear focus on your objectives will likely increase your chances of meeting them. 

On the downside, if it's unclear whether you want the website to rank, achieve traffic milestones, or generate leads, what are the chances of these things happening? Most likely slim. 

Try setting clear objectives based on the SMART goal-setting technique. This means that your goals should be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

Here’s what a clear, SMART website objective looks like in comparison to a vague goal. 

Notice how the SMART goal has a specific and relevant objective (website traffic) that can be measured (30%) within an achievable timeframe (April 2024). By clarifying your objectives this way, you’ll significantly increase your chances of success. 

#Mistake 2: Website is Created in Isolation

This mistake is so prominent that we’ve  written a whole eBook about it. Unfortunately, we see many businesses don’t involve key employees and stakeholders during the website development process. 

This cookie-cutter approach to web development guarantees your website will look the same as everyone else in the market. How will your customers pick you over your competitors? 

Your website should be built based on sound research and strategy. Here are the general key personnel that should be involved: 

The business owner(s)	Designers	Marketers and copywriters	IT teams	Customers

While it may seem tedious, collaborating with all parties ensures you’re starting on the right foot and reduces your risk of wasting time and money. 

#Mistake 3: Reliance on Open Source Software (Mainly WordPress) 

These days, using an open-sourced platform like WordPress is highly popular among businesses who want websites built quickly and cheaply. Open-source software has a source code that anyone can modify and enhance. This means thousands of other web developers can use and access your plugins and themes, which can be risky.

There’s been plenty of issues with the security of using WordPress, as the web-building platform is highly susceptible to hackers and viruses. Plus, creating a site on WordPress means your website is entirely dependent on the developer of the theme or plugin, which can be challenging to maintain and creates potential security issues.

In comparison, licensed software is copyrighted by an individual or company so that it cannot be used, distributed, or modified by anyone. By selecting licensed software, preferably a SaaS like Core dna, you can ensure your website is supported and secure.  

#Mistake 4: Content Is Created by the Business

Most businesses tend to use the same content they’ve been unsuccessfully using for years with slightly different edits. While this may save time, it also means that the new website is not much different from the old one other than design changes. 

An effective website should follow the goal that you’ve set. If you want to rank higher on Google, then you’ll need to include the relevant keywords searched by potential customers on your website. Rehashing old content without considering the user experience will not likely help you meet your goal.

Consider working with professional copywriters, graphic designers, photographers, and videographers for your new site. This improved imagery and content, driven by your very own consumer research and strategy, will significantly improve your website. 

#Mistake 5: Content is All About Themselves

The moment a customer enters your website, it becomes a time-sensitive operation. According to Forbes, 61% of customers state that they'll go somewhere else if they don’t find what they’re looking for within five seconds on your site. 

The truth is, there’s limited space in your website for self-focused content. A customer who comes to your website is looking for answers on how you’ll help them solve their problems with their product or service. If the first thing they see is a lengthy paragraph about your company's qualifications, years of service, and how you do the job, they are more likely to walk away. 

Focus instead on creating content that addresses the needs and interests of your audience, and always remember that you have a limited time to get their attention. 

Digital Assassin uses a specific technique to introduce your content gradually to the visitor to draw them in as part of your story.  Giving them too much too soon can be overwhelming, which will send them elsewhere.

#Mistake 6: Content Has No SEO Focus

For any business to grow, relying on word-of-mouth and advertisements alone will not bring them enough customers. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a great way to bring organic (unpaid) traffic to a website by increasing your brand’s visibility on Google. 

Google is by far the biggest search engine in the world, with over 8.5 billion daily customer searches. So it’s important that your brand ranks on Google’s first page through optimised keywords in your website’s content. 

Besides keywords, here are some other methods that can help your website do well in SEO:

Ensuring it’s mobile-friendly	Ensuring it has fast loading speeds	Your website imagery file size is optimised
Metadata is optimised on every page	Understanding your online customers and how they search	Generating relevant content

Content is a key part of SEO, but it’s another part of web development that we see so many businesses lacking. This brings us to our next mistake. 

#Mistake 7: Absence of Ongoing SEO Efforts

SEO is an ongoing effort that requires proper strategy and planning to help you stay on the first page of Google. Building your SEO into the website through keywords, imagery, and content is essential in increasing your authority score on a particular subject or category - but these efforts must be ongoing instead of one-off. 

For example, if you’re an accommodation provider in Melbourne, your content would probably centre around videos and blog posts about things to do in Melbourne. Through continuous value-added content and building quality backlinks (websites that link to your site), you can help your website maintain its top spot on Google and not be overtaken by competitors. 

For B2B companies, case studies are an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise as well as highlight the industries and size of businesses you work with.

Key Takeaway

If you’re a business owner making these seven mistakes, it’s never too late to develop a website that incorporates great content and good SEO practices. A great website comes from starting on the right foot and continuously updating it with relevant content. 

Digital Assassin’s affordable web development plans help Australian businesses build their SEO from the start and manage their website with ongoing tactical content and SEO best practices. To learn more about how to build a great website, read our eBook,  So You Need a Killer Website. Alternatively, speak to an assassin today.