What Kind of Employee is Your Website?

When you hire someone, you do so hoping that they will grow into a person who is a good representation of your company. You want your employees to exemplify your brand and hold themselves to the same high standards that you hold your business to.

But, as anyone who’s made hiring decisions knows, what you see isn’t always what you get. A prospective hire may look good on paper and do ok in an interview, only to disappoint you in terms of actual performance.

Now think about your website. Does it represent your company? Does it exemplify your brand? Does it meet the high standards of your business?

Or were you tricked? Were you sold on the idea of a website that isn’t doing what you were promised it would? Is your website constantly letting you down?

You see, your website can be your best employee or it can be your worst employee. It can increase sales or turn into a money pit. One thing’s for sure; if your website is your worst employee, you need to fire it ASAP.

Signs Your Website is Your Worst Employee

Bad websites, like bad employees, are often pretty good at putting up a front. When determining if your website is a bad employee, it’s important to consider all its components, from design to performance.

Why? Because it’s as easy for a website to look nice but perform poorly just as it is for a person to do the same. So how can you tell if your website is a bad employee?

• It doesn’t foster communication. Your website needs to provide potential customers with a way of talking to you and finding out more about your brand.
• It makes a bad first impression. Users don’t like websites that don’t look nice. Much like an employee, your site needs to take pride in its appearance instead of looking disheveled and dysfunctional.
• It isn’t innovative. Bland, boring websites that don’t do anything to stand out won’t attract the kind of attention you need to do more business.
• It’s unreliable. For your business to function, your website needs to show up everyday fresh and ready to work. Constant outages and website malfunctions aren’t going to make you any money.
• It doesn’t try to sell. Your website can’t just provide any information, it has to provide information that will cause the user to want to take action and buy your products or services.
• It’s not knowledgeable. Your website has to be able to explain to a user who you are, what you do, and what you sell, just like you’d want a good employee to.
• It’s disorganized. Websites and employees both should be put together and have their ducks in a row. If not, they give potential customers the impression that your whole company is disorganized.
• It isn’t worth the cost. Websites cost money to design, launch, and maintain. If your site isn’t doing anything to help you sell, you shouldn’t be paying its way.

Signs Your Website is Your Best Employee

Not sure how to fix your bad website or what to look for in a good one? No problem. Websites that function like good employees will be able to:

• Interact well with users. It should provide them with ample information, ways to get in touch with you, and the option to purchase your products online.
• Attract the right kind of customer. Ideally your website should attract qualified leads that are ready to buy.
• Work around the clock. Your website can’t just need to be there for your customers from 9 to 5; it needs to work 24/7 to support your clients and improve your bottom line.
• Do the work of several people. A good website can be your receptionist, sales team, finance team, and more.
• Impress users. It should also make them feel like they connect with you and your brand.
• Grow. Good employees need to be able to evolve and so do good websites.
• Tell the world what you do. Your website should provide info on your industry and your business while answering questions about what you do.
• Dress well. Style is important. Your website and employees both need to look professional, because showing up in a tank top and a pair of cut off jeans just isn’t going to cut it.

When to Get Rid of an Old Website

It’s up to you to determine if you simply want to discipline your website or fire it and get a new one. Unfortunately, some problems simply can’t be fixed. It makes much more sense to get a new website than it does to spend time and money into trying to fix an old website and end up with a new one anyway.

If you do decide to fire your website, BlueTone Media can help! We’re experts in creating websites that perform well, look great, and do it all. Plus, we provide many other digital marketing solutions in addition to website design. If you’re ready to fire the bad employee that is your website, give us a call at 888-258-8663.