Comments on: Does Your Website Scare Customers Away?

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:04:04 +0000

Hi Danielle, Thank you for visiting and sharing your comments! The thing with old news on the news page is often a symptom of the start-and-stop syndrome that affects marketing initiatives in general. People tend to start projects and then let them fizzle away as other priorities take over. Like you say - not a good idea to do that in person or on a website. But on a website, you're telegraphing your lack of follow through to the whole world. Brad Shorrs last blog post..How to Prepare Yourself for Launching a Business Blog

By: Danielle Ingram

Danielle Ingram — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:40:31 +0000

I think that this is really interesting, I suppose content is the big thing in most of these points! I particularly like the point about the news not being updated, not only are you showing customers you can't be bothered to write anything or you aren't even there anymore, you may also be missing out on SEO opportunities. I think the key to a successful website is, as a business person, present it as you would present yourself to a customer. Also, write the way that you would speak to the customer to make them aware of your products and services. Like you say jargon is a no go and most business people probably wouldn't use it when conversing with customers, so why use it on the website? Danielle Ingrams last blog post..Google One-Line Sitelinks - May 9, 2009

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:12:04 +0000

Libby, Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Animation ... grr. Unless your website is for a carnival or a clown convention, I think you're better off without it. Do you know why big consumer sites like Nike use so much of it? There must be some segment of the online market that likes it. I can't figure it out. Brad Shorrs last blog post..Best Buy vs. AT&T - A Tale of Two Customer Experiences

By: Libby Unwin

Libby Unwin — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:58:15 +0000

I heartily concur! Especially with the typos. Nothing is more distracting to me. Also, really hate it when everything – buttons, banner, background – is animated. It makes my head swim and I usually don’t take the time to figure out how to wade through it all.

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:54:15 +0000

Hi Salwa, You are so right! Business blogs should be more personal than other parts of a company's website. If a blogger's identity is withheld, the natural response is to be suspicious - definitely not good for business. Brad Shorrs last blog post..Influence Customers with Meaningful Terms in Meta Descriptions

By: Salwa

Salwa — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:28:08 +0000

Your post made me laugh but you're actually right. Just today I went to this website where I wanted to contact the owner and couldn't find his/her contact form. This told me the very same thing your stating above that whoever owns the website he or she don’t want to talk to the visitors at all, and one thing for sure I am not going to return again. I also hate sites and especially blogs that stay anonymous. If you are out there to promote something, you owe it to your potential customers to atleast introduce yourself. Salwas last blog post..The Mass Media Marketing Marathon

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:15:02 +0000

Hi J, Yes, you are right ... one of my concerns about my new theme as well. Brad Shorrs last blog post..Business Blog as Base of Operations for Online Marketing

By: JMarkson

JMarkson — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I’m turned off by large blocks of cramped text. Let it breathe. A little white space never killed anyone.

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:10:01 +0000

Hi Cath, You ask good questions about why companies choose the utterly annoying media options. Some firms I know do this sort of thing because they are unfamiliar with the web, and are still wowed by technological "wizardry". They assume visitors to their site will be equally impressed. Firms also tend to focus on first-time site visitors, not returning visitors. Bottom line - think about what the CUSTOMER wants from your website, not what YOU want from your website. Brad Shorrs last blog post..An Online Marketing Fairy Tale

By: Cath Lawson

Cath Lawson — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:28:41 +0000

Hi Brad – You know the words for goodbye in a heap of languages. I’ve never come across Palaam and Dosvedanya.

Many of the things you mentioned already really put me off a website – especially frames.

Two other things that really bug me are the automatic video that just comes on. And the homepage where you’ve got to guess where to click to get in.

I just don’t understand the companies who use automatic video. Most people don’t want to be interrupted by uninvited noise.

I do a lot of my Internet browsing in the morning before the rest of the family get up, so it’s really annoying when these silly videos wake them up. A lot of the time, I switch of the sound on my pc just incase – and it’s a pain having to switch it on and off all the time, just incase I’m interrupted.

The ones that don’t make it obvious where you’ve got to click bug me too. It’s like they’re assuming you have all the time in the day to guess how to get into their website.

Cath Lawsons last blog post..Does Your Sales Copy Suck?