Fastpage CMS

Why Web Sites Fail

Does this sound familiar, "We have a web site. We knew it would be a waste of time and money, but we tried it anyway because everyone said we should have one. Well we were right, it didn't work!"

Sounds familiar, but the reasons why web sites fail are due to many factors.
We have listed some of the common reasons here

Lack of Information
Web sites should be seen through the eyes of a web visitor and why they would visit your web site.
Most people visit your web site to find information in an unobtrusive manner, but all too often the information is never found.

Example:-
You place an advertisement for a special in your local newspaper and include a link to your web site.
Advertising real estate is expensive so you include a link to your web site.
People see you advertisement and visit you web site from the link.
When they get to your site they can't find any information about the special.
Sound familair?
Lack of Promotion
No matter how well-designed and presented a site is, it won’t just magically start to attract visitors (a "build it and they will come" mentality). Instead, a site has to be vigorously promoted, and that takes time, money and persistent effort.

Simple things like your Web Address on your business card, promotional material, Invoices, letterhead etc
Stale Content
The content of a Web site has to be updated regularly with new material to ensure that visitors will return, and to also tell their friends and work mates about the site. Even loyal people who have come back a number of times will soon tire of seeing the same old material.

Web sites are often like a Newspaper - good for a couple of reads, then you throw the newspaper away.
Too much graphic overhead
Graphics are a very important part of a sites presentation. The trade off is the overhead associated with the graphics the first time a visitor views your site .(Load times for subsequent visits are much shorter because information about the site is stored on your system for a period of time). Any site that take more than 10-15 seconds to start loading and more than 30 seconds to be at least somewhat visible, will be exited before complete loading in a large percentage of viewings. There are analysis programs that will tell you the amount of average time someone views your site. You will be surprised how short it is. I have found some sites with less than an average of 15 seconds viewing times for the main page.

Why Web Sites Fail
Does this sound familiar, "We have a web site. We knew it would be a waste of time and money, but we tried it anyway because everyone said we should have one. Well we were right, it didn't work!"
Sounds familiar, but the reasons why web sites fail are due to many factors. We have listed some of the common reasons here
Lack of Information
	Web sites should be seen through the eyes of a web visitor and why they would visit your web site. Most people visit your web site to find information in an unobtrusive manner, but all too often the information is never found. Example:- You place an advertisement for a special in your local newspaper and include a link to your web site. Advertising real estate is expensive so you include a link to your web site. People see you advertisement and visit you web site from the link. When they get to your site they can't find any information about the special. Sound familair?
Lack of Promotion
	No matter how well-designed and presented a site is, it won’t just magically start to attract visitors (a "build it and they will come" mentality). Instead, a site has to be vigorously promoted, and that takes time, money and persistent effort. Simple things like your Web Address on your business card, promotional material, Invoices, letterhead etc
Stale Content
	The content of a Web site has to be updated regularly with new material to ensure that visitors will return, and to also tell their friends and work mates about the site. Even loyal people who have come back a number of times will soon tire of seeing the same old material. Web sites are often like a Newspaper - good for a couple of reads, then you throw the newspaper away.
Too much graphic overhead
	Graphics are a very important part of a sites presentation. The trade off is the overhead associated with the graphics the first time a visitor views your site .(Load times for subsequent visits are much shorter because information about the site is stored on your system for a period of time). Any site that take more than 10-15 seconds to start loading and more than 30 seconds to be at least somewhat visible, will be exited before complete loading in a large percentage of viewings. There are analysis programs that will tell you the amount of average time someone views your site. You will be surprised how short it is. I have found some sites with less than an average of 15 seconds viewing times for the main page.