One of the many questions I get asked is typically why do websites fail to deliver?

There are of course many possible reasons why the owner of a site may be dissatisfied with it's performance but here, in no particular order, are five of the most common problems I have come across.

• Stale Content
• Broken/Complex Navigation
• Poor design
• Lack of promotion
• No proper strategic plan - no goals

Stale Content

If a site is to succeed over time it is important that it offers at least some regularly updated content. This will not only increase the number of visitors who return to the site but will help with search engine optimisation as the search engines love fresh content.

Of course the extent and frequency will depend on the type of site and what it offers. A site that provides news would probably require updating several times a day while an online shop may only need weekly updates on offers and general information surrounding the products.

A site that looks fresh and up to date is also more likely to retain a first time visitor than one that has content that does not appear to have changed for a long time.

Broken/Complex Navigation

If there is one thing that is guaranteed to put off new visitors and send them running it is a site that is difficult to navigate. Generally visitors to the site don't want to be made to have to think just to find what they are looking for. Some sites are like a test for MENSA when all you want to do is buy a simple item online.

In addition to navigation that is not intuitive and user friendly is the wonderful 404 page not found error. A user that finds a 404 and then leaves the site is invariably going to forget about you and your site. They are not going to come back later in idle curiosity as to whether the page they wanted to look at is still broken rather they will put their energies into finding what they wanted elsewhere

Poor Design

By poor design I am not referring to personal likes and dislikes but to the poor implementation of design rules which give an overall effect of an amateurish site. For a site to be successful in meeting its goals it should inspire confidence in its visitors. This is regardless of whether the site owner wants the visitor to read a blog or to part with their hard earned cash online. A poorly designed site is less likely to promote confidence and is therefore more likely to fail.

Typical design errors are inconsistency in the use of fonts, too many colours that clash, text and background colours that are too similar, designs and proprietary code that only work in one specific browser, sites that are too busy and especially when the content is mostly made up of advertising banners and Google Adsense.

These are just some examples but the web is full of a lot more and I expect you have your own 'favourites'

Lack of Promotion

It is a common misconception that simply building a nice website and uploading it to a server will result in traffic and that this traffic will in turn result in goal conversions. However a website, regardless of how good it may be, is like a billboard in the desert when left without being promoted in anyway. I have seen beautifully designed sites with great functionality failing simply because no one new they existed.

It is possible to make it easy for people to find your site through a whole host of techniques and methods.

• Most sites that provide a personal profile page allow for at least one url - put your site in there.
• Add your site to the numerous online directories that relate to its subject.
• Optimise the site so that it performs well in the search engines for your most important keyword(s).
• Contribute to forums and blogs, as well as increasing your own reputation, including your web address in your signature will help increase its visibility. The same applies for emails - have the name of your site and its URL in your email signature.
• Off line, make sure that your website address is included in your letterheads, business cards, leaflets and so on.

No Strategic Plan or Goals

This may seem like common sense but it is not uncommon for an individual or company to launch a web site with only a vague idea of its purpose.

It is a vital part of planning that specific goals are identified which are measurable. This is true of all sites whether they exist to increase sales, generate leads, increase dialogue, share information or whatever. Without clearly defined goals it is not possible to objectively measure the performance of the site, build upon its strengths or identify its failings and improve upon them

Without a clear strategy focus is easily lost and a site can lose direction