Are you embarrassed by your website?

It’s often not the hard business evidence that drives people to contact us to talk about planning a new website. It’s something far more human.

Having a bad website is like having a really messy house. You avoid taking people there. And even though it’s bad for business, it’s often embarrassment that finally flicks the switch between ‘we really must get round to doing something about it’ to ‘we need to do it NOW.’

Embarrassing caravan. Image by Lizzie Everard.

The business case for having a good website packed with valuable content is very strong. Many people now realise that 60% of a sale happens before clients get in touch (or don’t – as the case may be). Your website plays an increasingly important part in the path to new business.

Yet it’s often not the hard business evidence that drives people to contact us to talk about planning a new website. It’s something far more human.

It’s embarrassment that finally flicks the switch between ‘we really must get round to doing something about our website’ to ‘we need to do it NOW.’

Worse than driving away potential leads (who we’ll never meet and can therefore ignore), a poor website makes it difficult to look our best amongst people we respect and want to do business with.

Having an embarrassing website is like having a really messy house. You just don’t want to bring people back there. Ring any bells?

Six signs that you’re embarrassed by your website

  1. Like the spooky house on the corner, no one’s touched the website in years. It’s creaking at the seams. You daren’t even look in some places. Feels like it’s covered in cobwebs. If you dig too deep a skeleton will fall out of a cupboard or a bat will fly in your face.
  2. Ghost ship. Your website is haunted by the ghosts of people who left the company months ago, and the spectre of ideas you’ve moved on from. You’d change it if you could, only changing anything is so difficult, so you just avoid sending people to it.
  3. No room at the inn. Look, you’d like to add some valuable content, but where’s it going to go? Your website isn’t a house, it’s a tiny caravan, and there’s no space for anything http://bestacnedrug.com/ else. It’s just not up to the job.
  4. Lost the plot. So many words but no one understands what you’re saying. Your website just doesn’t make it clear what you do. (In fact, you’re so mired in the wrong words that you’re finding it hard to explain it too,)
  5. Decorated by Laurence Llewelyn Bowen c.1993. Web fashions change. If too much frippery detracts from your message or the design gets in the way it just feels wrong. If your website fees like a rag rolling disaster, or a gold spray painted cherub fiasco, you’ll want people to stay well away.
  6. Childhood bedroom syndrome. Your business is growing. You’ve changed. You’re clear what you offer, and how you help your clients but your website hasn’t caught up. Taking people back to the website is like trying to have a serious business conversation in a room decorated in Noddy wallpaper. You’ll do anything to avoid it.

If this sounds like you then perhaps it’s time to take action. You can get some ideas for a website you are proud of from our book – here’s a link to download the free chapter on building a valuable website from Valuable Content Marketing. Hope it’s a good starting point and good luck!

We’d love to help you out if you need an outside view. Recently described by a client as ‘the Trinny and Susannah of websites’ (yes, really!), we’ll work with you to plan a website you’ll be happy to show people around and fill it with the right content that sparks conversations and wins you work.

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2 Comments

  1. Ryan James

    Or as I say to people… would you be happy to leave your website in the capable hands of an ideal prospect and trust that they’ll deduce why they should be using you in lieu of speaking to you in person?

    If the answer is no, then you need a new website – period.
    Because the reality is that your ideal prospect may already be looking at your website without you even knowing about it. And the reason you don’t know about it is ’cause your website is leaving them cold without a good reason to contact you!

    (Although I’m a fine one to talk… I’ve been punting out my old 50p wordpress site for 2 years! I really must update it soon!!)

    Reply
  2. Sharon Tanton

    Thanks Ryan, that’s very well expressed.

    This post was written from the heart – we need to sort out this website too. We’re finding it very hard – much easier to write other people’s websites than your own!

    Reply

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