That isn’t all that flattering.
Have you ever stopped to think about the nonverbal message on your website? I’m not talking about the photos or color palette (although yes, those matter too). I’m talking about the little behind-the-scenes details that whispers all the wrong things, despite how hard you are working.
What’s worse? You may not even realize you’re website is saying all these nasty things about you. So today, I’m sharing five of the most common unspoken messages your website might be sending, and how to fix them so that your first impression is one of your making!
1. An Outdated Copyright Year
What does this say? This person probably isn’t in business any more.
You could be out there doing all the things to build your business and make your dreams come true, but if your copyright date is old your website visitors are going to question if you are still in business. You can probably get away with it for a year behind, maybe two, but after that seeds of doubt are going to kick in.
I know this feels like a tiny insignificant details, but to someone how is scanning the pages of your website to see what you have to offer, it is a red flag. They stop paying attention to the awesome things you are putting out into the world, and start asking all sorts of questions that aren’t all that flattering.
Questions like…
Maybe you went out of business
Maybe you’re too busy to focus on clients
Maybe you weren’t that good in the first place
If aren’t taking care of their website, what else are they neglecting?
These questions may not stay at the forefront of their thoughts for long, but they plant a seed of doubt that chips away at the trust you are trying to establish.
THE FIX: Update your copyright to the current year. Set a reminder a reminder on your calendar to do this every January, or automate it so you don’t have to worry.
2. Broken Links and Call-to-Action Buttons
What does this say? This person isn’t really on top of things.
When someone visits your website they are looking for valuable information from a trusted source. They aren’t there for a scavenger hunt, and don’t want to dig to find information. If your buttons lead to know where, or your links deliver a 404 error message one of two things will most likely happen…
They will think… “I don’t have time for this,” and will leave
They will think your lazy or not really focused on building a solid business
Either way, if they haven’t established a relationship with you yet, they may just decide you aren’t the valuable trusted source they are looking for
THE FIX: Set a reminder every 3-4 months to do a full click-through of your site. This doesn’t have to feel like drudgery either. Make it fun, and while you’re sipping that oat milk cappuccino pretend you’re a first-time visitor on your website.
Click every button on your website. Especially the main pages
Run a link checker like Dead Link Checker to look for broken links and fix them.
Pro Tip: Create a value driven 404 error page!
Even with the best laid plans, your audience may still stumble across a bad link somewhere. This is where creating a value-driven, strategically planned 404 error page comes in handy. Rather than just having a generic 404 page that tells your visitors that page no longer exists, add in content that will guide them to the most popular areas on your website.
3. Having Inconsistent Voice from Page to Page
What does this say? This person isn’t sure who they are are what they do!
If your homepage sounds warm and friendly, but your services page suddenly reads like a corporate memo there is a disconnect confusing your visitors. This happens, especially when our sites are a few years old and have been updated a little here or a little there. Just recently when working on building a new website for myself, I realized some of the older content I am moving over just doesn’t sound like the me today.
Your voice is part of your brand. It builds familiarity, comfort, and trust. And it changes as you and your business evolve.
THE FIX: This will take a little more time, but it is time well spent. Find yourself a comfy spot (not your normal work space) and read through each page. If you can read them out loud. I know you are going to feel a bit silly doing this, but trust me. Reading out loud helps you hear more clearly the words that are on the page, and you are going to find those inconsistencies a lot more quickly.
As you read, ask yourself…
Does this sound like me?
Are these words I use when talking with clients?
Would I actually say this in a conversation?
If the answer is “not really,” tweak the lines until they feel natural. To keep this manageable, tackle one page at a time over your morning coffee through the course of a week or two. This will help keep your voice aligned in your messaging as your business grows.
4. Old Blog Posts with No Recent Updates
What does this say? They don’t have much to share, maybe they aren’t the expert I’m looking for.
When I first launched my business way back in 2011, the rule was… “You have to have a blog.” This was considered to be non-negotiable, and the web designers of that day would make sure it happened by helping or at least insisting you start with three blogs posts.
The idea was that after you launched your website, you would continue the blog adding valuable content on a fairly consistent basis. Unfortunately that didn’t happen for most people. Instead their three lonely little blogs posts sit out there, getting older, collecting dust, and quietly whispering… “this lady doesn’t know a whole lot about her field yet.”
First let me just say… YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A BLOG! Blogs are really valuable, but only when they are done well. To have a blog that is tossed up as an afterthought or abandoned is going to hurt your business more than you realize. So if you have blog and your last entry is from 2021, it is time to take action.
THE FIX: The first step is to assess if the blog has any valuable content. If not, delete it –– remove it from the menu –– set up a redirect to your home page — and move on happily.
(Check out this blog if you are on the fence about having a blog of your own. https://caffeinecreative.io/to-blog-or-not-to-blog)
If you blog has some valuable content and you want to keep it, I recommend removing the dates so that it doesn’t immediately scream, “This is outdated content!”
A few other things to consider doing with your blog…
Refresh old posts with new insights or examples. You could update the blog itself adding a note of when it was last updated, or simply write about the topic again from a fresh new perspective, adding more content to your the main blog.
If you really want to keep the blog, batch-write 5–6 posts in one day or over a VIP business weekend and schedule them throughout the year. This will tell the world, you do have something to say, and that you are willing to share.
5. Lack of Testimonials or Proof of Results
What does this say? Maybe they are new and not all that experienced.
This one is not as big of a deal as the others, because there are multiple ways you can share your knowledge and experience through the pages of your website. But it is still worth mentioning.
Testimonials are social proof that you know what you are doing. Anyone can have a fabulous website that promises results… testimonials are proof you deliver those results.
Think about this… when you’re checking out a new restaurant, do you go in blind? Or do you read a couple of reviews first to see if people actually liked the food, the service, the atmosphere? Your dream clients are doing the same thing.
THE FIX: Gather snippets of your best feedback, and start sprinkling them into your website copy. This will take a little thought and strategy, but it will pay off in the end. Check out this blog post for more on how to use those testimonials https://caffeinecreative.io/let-your-testimonials-guide-visitors-through-your-website/.
Remember my friends…
Your website is always working for you behind the scenes. When you keep your copy fresh, your links working, and your voice consistent your website visitors will feel more at home, and like they’ve landed in the right place. This also helps establish the like – know – trust factor we are all striving for, and makes it a whole lot easier to move the maybe’s to “Yes! I’d love to work with you!”
