3 Mistakes Website DIYers Make
1. Too much clutter.
Way too many words. Not enough white space. In a word: ‘overwhelming’.
The remedy:
Make your text larger, more concise, and to the point.
Keep in mind that internet users skim and don’t read long paragraphs of text. This is supported by decades of eye-tracking research, usability studies, and heatmap data on popular websites. So what can we do about that?
Unfortunately, we can’t force our customers to read more. That means we must alter our approach to communication to reach them where they are at, with the attention-span they currently have.
Ask yourself:
How can I simplify this chunk of copy?
What can I take away?
Where can I introduce more white space into the design?
Can I communicate my point with visuals instead of words?
Is my main point big, bold, and clear?
In website copywriting, less truly is more.
2. Lack of strong call-to-action.
You leave your customers guessing about how to take the next step.
The remedy:
Tell your customers or clients exactly what you want them to do before leaving your website.
Be concrete and specific about what you want them to do, and what value you will offer them for doing it.
Don’t make them hunt for a link or offer vague suggestions such as “contact me to learn more”.
Set up integrations that enable your customer to take action right away.
For example: add a shop section of your website where they can buy your physical or digital products, schedule a time with you, or offer a free resource as a thank you for subscribing to your newsletter.
Use a big, bold button with precise wording to draw your customer to click.
3. Waiting too long to launch!
Overthinking and rewriting for months...years... before hitting publish.
The remedy:
Remember that *all* websites are a work-in-progress.
The biggest companies in the biz are constantly fine-tuning their offerings, copy and design to better serve their customers.
New business owners are often very worried that their site is “not ready yet” and that perfectionism becomes a massive blocker.
The reality is, your business will not grow if you never publish! And you will never know how your website performs until you get it out there in front of your dream audience.
This is why I always recommend that creative biz owners start with a website platform such as Squarespace, that enables you to quickly publish and edit pages on the fly, with zero technical experience.
How can you make progress today?
Just ten minutes can do a lot of good and get you closer to building the biz of your dreams!
If you need support or a loving kick in the pants to hit publish, schedule a super-productive session ✨
