Intro: Why Bad Websites Happen to Good Companies

You’ve seen them: surprisingly bad websites representing good companies or organizations. Websites with Flash intro screens, incomprehensible menus, bad links, and no discernible message. Websites that drop you off unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere with no clear indication how to get back without hitting your browser’s back button. Websites with so little traffic that you cause a spike in the unique visitors graph just by visiting the homepage. Websites that haven’t changed or been updated since the dotcom bubble burst. Websites that make you cringe if they belong to your company.

In a series of posts over the next several weeks, we’ll look at how and why bad websites happen, what you can do to avoid having them happen, and if they’ve already happened, what you can do to fix them. You may recognize your website falls short of what you’d like it to be, and that’s good! Before you can fix the problem(s), you have to be aware they exist.

We’re going to start with this premise: websites require your attention, effort, time, and willingness to engage your market to have any value to your business. The days of online brochures are long past. Having a brochure site is like going to a party, but standing in the darkest corner of the coat closet. If nobody notices you, and you’re not willing to engage in conversation, there’s not much sense in going to the party. Or having a website.

For more posts in this series, see the "Bad Websites/Good Companies" category at right.

Tags: Design/Development, Marketing