Top 4 Biggest Website Mistakes Stopping You From Winning in Business

About the episode:

Today's episode of Rebrand with RuthAnn focuses on the fundamentals of giving your website a significant boost! From the top mistakes that could hold you back to professional copywriting to premium design advice, I will review the nuances of what distinguishes a good website from a GREAT website. This episode is loaded with practical guidance whether you know your site needs updating ASAP or you simply want to be mindful of what might be strengthened in the future. Also, stay around for a unique offer exclusively for my listeners who are eager to bring out the best in their website!

Highlights:

Why your website calls for an expert eye
Top mistakes in website design and how to fix them
Tips for engaging your visitors every time they visit your site
Web design dos and don'ts as well as ways to create an impactful visual effect
Ways for Calls To Action (CTAs) to move beyond "learn more"

Resources

Megan Smyth: Copywriter and Consultant

Special Giveaway: 3 free brand website assessments to the first three people who DM RuthAnn the word ‘’Assessment’’ on Instagram.

Do you need an extra set of eyes when it comes to your website? Are you not sure what's working and what's not working? Like you think something could be improved, but you just don't know what it is. Welcome to this week's episode of Rebrand with Ruth Ann. I'm so excited that you're here. We are going to be talking all about having that extra set of eyes on your website. The biggest mistakes I see whenever I provide my clients with a brand and website assessment which is what I'm referring to when I say an extra set of eyes on your website. And we're also gonna be talking about how a updated or upgraded website can really help you build your business and brand. So let's dive right in. So I started offering these brand and website assessments, I think it was in late 2023, and I have loved doing them so, so much. They are so much fun to do.

Basically what happens in a brand and website assessment is I go into your website, I take a look around, I see what's working, what's not working, and I give my honest feedback in a loom video. And I provide everything, I don't hold anything back when it comes to tips, what I think about copy, what I think about design, how you can improve. And so these brand and website assessments aren't just fun for me to do because I get to provide my expertise and offer suggestions for how things can be improved. But it's so helpful for my clients because they have that extra set of eyes. They have that expert advice and they know exactly what they need to do. If they want to make those changes, they can make them themselves or they can hire me to help them make those changes for them. So it's a really great.

opportunity for you if you are looking for a way to really increase the amount of people who reach out to you via your website and increase the likelihood of people clicking through, of people staying on your site, of booking discovery calls, all that kind of thing. So I'm so excited. I do have a special little surprise for you podcast listeners if you are interested.

if you're interested in a brand and website assessment. So listen to the end of this episode and I'm gonna share what that is soon. But let's talk about the biggest mistakes I see whenever I'm doing brand and website assessments. And I've done dozens of them at this point and so many of them have a lot of things in common.

And I'm excited to share, you know, kind of the biggest mistakes I see and how maybe if you look over your own site, see, are you making any of these mistakes too? And how can you improve? So the first mistake is wasted real estate. And what I mean by this is your main banner when people come to your homepage, that is a very important piece of real estate because...

This is kind of the gateway for people to either click out of your site or for them to continue to scroll and to continue to look through your site and learn more about you and your services. So something that's super important in this area is talking about who you are, the pain point of your client, and how you deliver the solution to them. So it's so hard for me whenever I see,

I go to like a homepage banner and I did this recently with a recent brand and website assessment I did. I went to the homepage banner and it was just the logo, like a big logo right in the middle. No words, no nothing. And you couldn't learn about who this person was until you scrolled down through the site. So it was just one of those things where it's like, this is like prime real estate and you want to use this to your advantage as much as possible. You want people to learn more about you, to click around, and if they just see a logo, they're maybe going to feel like, where am I? Like, this doesn't apply to me, I don't need anything that this person's offering, and so they might just click right out, because we have just really short attention spans. So I think that is one of the big things I notice and see, is that using, you want to use that homepage banner especially,

But any other banner you have on your site is a invitation to really draw people in to read the rest of the page. So you really wanna lead with who you are, the problem your client has, and how you are the solution to that problem. So really think about, if you go through your own website, make sure every single banner you have in each page is really specific helpful and makes people want to keep clicking through.

Which brings me to number two, lackluster copy. And copy is so important on your site because if the copy is not intriguing or if people don't relate to the copy, they're not going to keep scrolling normally. If you have great design, they're probably going to keep scrolling just because it's interesting and it's intriguing to them and you know, they want to see how beautiful it is. That could be something that keeps them going.

But I think copy is almost more important because the copy really draws people in to read the rest of the page and to actually click through and make a decision. So I think having lackluster copy is a huge mistake I see on websites. And it's just one of those things that can be, you know, it's an investment just like anything else, but like having a copywriter go through your website and help you with the copy. Either, you know, I came to this conclusion myself as a website designer, realizing I really need to have a copywriter in my corner on my team to help my clients because I am not a copywriter. I do know a thing or two about copy and I've studied copywriting and so I feel very like I can handle it. But when it comes to my clients needing help,

I just didn't feel like I was in the position to provide what they needed. And especially because I didn't necessarily want to do that. I really wanted to do just the design. And so I brought on a copywriter to my team in, I think it was the very beginning of 2024. And it has been the best decision I've ever made because it's just so nice to have a team member who is very, very good at what she does.

Shout out to Megan Smythe. And she is just so good at copy and she helps my clients find the words that they're looking for and really creates a dynamic, you know, a dynamic experience for them online because they have the expert words of a copywriter and then they have my design. And so it just helps them knock it out of the park whenever they're ready to. So having copy.

So having copy is like incredibly important in the website design process. And so that's why I brought a copywriter on my team, like I said. And if you don't have, you know, if you're not ready to go through the whole website writing experience, you know, hiring a copywriter, I think another great alternative is to have maybe like a one -on -one strategy session with a copywriter. I know Megan does this for clients where it's like a...

It's like an hour long strategy call where she reviews all your copy and gives you like pointers. So I think that is a great alternative as well. So it's not like you only have one decision when it comes to having great copy for your website. It's not like you just either hire someone or you never can have good copy. It's like there are options. There's, you know, a one off strategy session. There's like done with you where you write the copy and then you have like an editor. So there are definitely options when it comes to making your copy as exciting and personality filled and you know really draws the person in as possible. The third biggest mistake I see whenever I'm doing brand and website assessments is bad or outdated design. And this might not seem like it's that important.

But this actually is a huge, a huge issue. The reason being is because people have become a lot more familiar with, let me see, how do I phrase this? The reason this is so important is because having bad design versus good design is, it really can be the difference between someone like,clicking to read more about you and putting down a deposit to work with you, or thinking you are not credible and moving right along. And that's the truth. Like people are, I just feel like first impressions make a really big, let's see. Having a great first impression is incredibly important just because it establishes your authority and who you are and it seems like you know what you're doing. If you have great design, it really looks like you know what you're doing. If you have bad design, the opposite is true. It looks like you don't know what you're doing. It looks like you're new at this. It looks like you just started your business. I did a brand new website assessment recently with someone and she's been in business for years and years and years and it looked like she had just started.

And that's the trouble when it comes to a website that really looks like it's DIY, normally because it is. It just looks, it makes you look like a newbie. And so the thing is when you have bad or outdated design, one or the other, it just can really hinder your credibility and your chance to work with really aligned clients. And you're missing out on an opportunity also to raise your prices and to be an industry leader as well. So that is a huge mistake I see whenever I do a brand and website assessment. And I think it's good, just talking about an outdated design, I think it's good to revisit your website design every two years, I would say. Because that is enough time for a few trends to shift, for you know, you to change and shift if you get new photos or something like every every two years I would say that's like the longest you want to wait is a good time to revisit your site and just to see how is everything looking how is everything feeling you know are looking at your analytics like are you getting are people leaving your site as soon as they get there are they staying on your site and clicking around which pages are performing best which pages are performing the worst and like how can you make improvements to those pages. So I think it's good to just take a look and see how your design is and if it's been a long time since you've had design help that might be a good indicator that maybe now is a great time to get some help. And the fourth mistake I see whenever I provide brand and website assessments is weak calls to action. And when I say weak calls to action I mean like there's a button on your site that says learn more. I just think that is such a passive way and such a generic way to ask people to learn more about what you're doing. I just think there are so many more fun and dynamic ways to call people to action and they can be way more personality filled. So for an example, here's a few that I have seen that I just love. One of them is say less and I love that one because it's like it's kind of like at the top of a sales page and it's like after you talk about the problem and the solution then you say there's a button that says say less I'm ready or something like that and it's just kind of yeah adding in that personality flair and allowing your client to identify with the language and so I think that is a fun one.

Another one is ready to, and this could be ready to book your design project, ready to schedule a call with me. And it just kind of is a way to bring out that fact that people are thinking about something and then if they feel like they're ready, it's just like calling that out and just calling that to the forefront. Like I'm ready to fix my website copy or like I'm ready to get help or something like that. So that's a fun one too.

And a final one is show me your ways. And I think that's a really fun one too, because it's like, it's like not as much like read the blog or do this. It's like, show me what I'm missing or like, it's just that visual aspect. So I think that's a fun one too. So I think there's obviously there's so many different calls to action you can do. And you really want to look through your site and see, do you have any buttons on your site that say learn more? If so, take those out and replace them with something more personality -filled that really connects with your ideal client and encourages them to check out whatever you have going on. So those are the four big mistakes I see when I provide brand and website assessments. I think there are more I can call to this, you know, there are more I can call to mind, but those are the four I wanted to mention here. So number one, wasted real estate, number two, lackluster copy, number three, bad or outdated design, and number four, weak calls to action. So all of these things are very fixable. And the thing is when you do make changes to your website and when you know like these are the things that are really going to help me, it helps you in three different ways. Number one, it builds so much confidence. When you feel really proud of your website like,

My site is built exactly for my ideal customer. I know exactly that it's set up for success, that it's strategy filled, that the copy is on point, the design is on point. It gives you so much confidence, which I think is a little bit underrated because when you have confidence in your website and in your online presence and how you're showing up and how you're presenting yourself,

I think it just provides a world of difference to the energy you have when you're showing up to market, you know, the invitations you might send out to have people get on a discovery call with you. I think confidence plays such a huge role in your energy and your vibe. And I think that's just something that is priceless because when you have that energy, when you have that excitement, when you have that confidence,

It can really change everything. So I think that is a huge one when it comes to your website. If you have that updated site like you want, if you are really proud of how you're presented online and how everything is laid out, you will have that confidence piece, which can change the trajectory of your business, truly. The second thing is you have credibility. And the reason this is important is because credibility builds trust.

If you look credible online, people will automatically trust you. Not 100 % of course, but they will see that you know what you're talking about, that you know what you're doing, and you're so much more likely to build a...

Okay, let me see. When you have that credibility piece, you are so much more likely to build that trust quickly, which is game changing if you are wanting to book clients. And having that credibility also makes whenever you're pitching yourself to a podcast, to a publication or something, and they can check you out online.

They feel like you know what you're talking about and you know what you're doing and you are going to be a great guest on their platform. So having that credibility piece is huge as well. And it just, yeah, it can speak volumes without you saying anything. You can just tell people, go check out my site. And you just know that it's set up well, you trust it. And then they come back and say, wow, that looks incredible. I would love to have you on as a guest.

There you go. I know I've had that happen where people look at my site and they're like, my gosh, wow, you like really know what you're doing. I'm like, yes, thank you. I do. And the third thing is having a website that is updated, modern and looking really good is connection. And this is such an important piece. Like you want to be building a connection with your ideal clients immediately as fast as possible.

online. So the way you can do that is really giving them a great client experience online when they are interacting with you on your website. If they're checking you out on social media, building that connection piece is huge because people buy from people, especially if you're doing a one -to -one service, which is what I do. It's just so important to build that connection so people can start to grow that know, like and trust factor.

if they've never met you before or they haven't been introduced to you by someone else. So if you can build that connection, that is what you want to do. And having a site that really represents you well will help do that. So it'll help with confidence, credibility, and connection, three huge things that help you sign more clients and grow your business. So I told you I would have a little surprise at the end and I have something for you. So,

I would love to give away three brand website assessments to the first three people who DM me the word assessment. Over on Instagram, I'm at r underscore artspace. And normally this is a paid offer, but I'm so excited to share this with you, my dedicated podcast listeners, if you are interested in getting another set of eyes on your website, helping you know exactly what needs to be fixed.

and really giving you the tools where you can do it yourself or you can have help in the process of like these are the changes that will make the most difference. These will impact your bottom line. These will help you sign more clients. I would love to help you with this. So yes, the first three people who go over to my Instagram and DM me the word assessment, I would love to provide you with a branded website assessment for free and...

Like I said, this is a loom video you can watch on your own time. If you are making the changes yourself, this is something you can re -watch whenever you have that time and margin to make all the changes you want. And this is just such a great opportunity if you're looking to make some changes on your website, really improve your client experience, and grow your business as we are going into this next season and really grow your business moving forward. So I'm so excited to see who I can help. I'm so excited to offer this to you. And I can't wait to connect with you over on Instagram. And thank you so much for listening today. I really appreciate you being here. I know there's a lot of other podcasts you can choose to listen to. And the fact that you hang out with me whenever you can means a lot.

If you wanted to spread the word, I would be so grateful if you could share about this show or leave a rating and review. That would help me so much and I just am so thankful and grateful every time I read a new review. So thank you so much for that and thank you for being here again. I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day and I will talk with you later.