Today’s success tip comes from Mitchell Harper and Eddie Machaalani.
Mitchell and Eddie first met in an online chat room, discussing software. After learning more about each other they joined forces in 2003 to build what would become Interspire Pty Ltd, an internet software company that develops content management and email marketing solutions for small businesses.
What is the most common mistake made by new internet entrepreneurs when building their website?
[Eddie] I see, build and critique websites all day long. It’s what I do and one of my strange passions. I was recently helping a friend critique his company’s website and what seemed obvious to me was the lack of credibility being portrayed. When a first-time visitor visits your website, they need to decide – usually in less than three seconds – whether or not your website is:
- run by a real company and not a fly-by-night operation
- trustworthy – a company that’s not going to take their money and run.
Many entrepreneurs assume that people visiting their website already understand and value their business as much as they do. In reality the opposite is true. A website visitor only needs to make a single click and voilà, you’ve lost them forever. No amount of marketing, public relations and website traffic will result in strong revenue if your website doesn’t portray credibility.
So ask yourself these questions:
- Does my website look credible? How does it compare, in terms of design, to my direct competitors and other professional websites?
- Am I too involved in the look and feel of my website and not trusting my graphic designer’s instincts enough?
- What is the main aim of my website? Is it to educate? Is it to result in a sale? How are my competitors accomplishing this goal?
- Do I publish easy-to-find contact information, including a phone number and physical address?
- Do I make sure my website is constantly updated and relevant?
- Does my website work on various operating systems, like Windows or Mac, and on different web browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox?
- How do I show that there’s a real organisation behind my website? Do I publish photos of the staff? A photo of the office maybe? Do I have memberships to various organisations, such as the chamber of commerce? Am I listing and showing off these memberships?
- Has my website been honestly critiqued by someone I don’t know? There are website forums that let you post your website URL and people will comment on what they like and don’t like about it.
For more of this interview and the common mistakes when making a website check out “Secrets of Internet Entrepreneurs Exposed!“
