Mistake #1: Spending more money on business cards than your web host It boggles my mind that a company with a great physical-world reputation would risk that goodwill by using a subpar web host. If you use Outlook or Gmail to pick up and manage your email, that’s totally fine. Just be sure you use your own domain for your email address. Mistake #5: Redirecting to a mobile site What was that page you asked for again? With StudioPress Sites, it takes one click. Mistake #10: Hosting with a company that prevents or punishes your success This last one will catch you by surprise at the worst moment. If you currently have cheap “hobby” hosting, you need to ask yourself: How many clients or customers can I afford to lose to a bad web experience? Let us know in the comments below about other business website mistakes you’ve seen or if a company has ever lost you as a client or customer because you had issues using their site. Select a straightforward domain name, and use it for your site and email. Hit that “https” button and upgrade to the SSL version of your site.
At a local WordCamp recently, I critiqued websites from a group of volunteers during a site clinic session.
While I noticed a number of common mistakes — like extra-loud, auto-play videos and other distractions — one of the weird things that stood out was how many real, substantial businesses had problematic web hosting and domain strategies.
With those in mind, I wanted to make sure you aren’t making the same mistakes. Let’s go through some of the worst offenses, shall we?
Mistake #1: Spending more money on business cards than your web host
It boggles my mind that a company with a great physical-world reputation would risk that goodwill by using a subpar web host.
In other words, if your coffee budget is 10 times higher than your hosting budget, you’re probably not getting a premium service.
Also, if your hosting company brags about having millions of customers, they might not be too upset if your site goes down — but the hit to your bottom line will be substantial.
Mistake #2: Choosing a domain nobody can spell or remember
You said “awesome-and-amazing-dot-com?” Was it “theawesome,” “the-awesome,” or just “awesome?”
Sure, many people are going to discover your site through links or search. But having a memorable (and easy-to-spell) domain does help you attract and retain visitors.
You can’t bank on them bookmarking your site during their first visit.
Mistake #3: Building your business website on a platform you don’t own
Digital sharecropping is even worse than a bad domain.
With this mistake, you’re always at risk of losing the web presence you’re working so hard to build.
Mistake #4: Using an impersonal business email address
If you invest in a beautiful website design, then don’t use “@outlook,” “@gmail,” or “@hotmail” for your business’s primary email address.
If you use Outlook or Gmail to pick up and manage your email, that’s totally fine. Just be sure you use your own domain for your email address. You can use an email forwarder or domain settings to get the best of both worlds.
Mistake #5: Redirecting to a mobile site
What was that page you asked for again?
This might be controversial, but in my opinion there is no reason to send your visitors to a separate mobile site that doesn’t correspond to the URL they originally typed.
I wanted to go directly to the dancing kittens, not your mobile website home page.
Responsive design and mobile-first thinking will give your users a great experience…
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