Common Website Issues and How MTM Resolves Them

A well-designed, high-performing website is essential for attracting prospects, informing them about your company, and converting leads. At Madison Taylor Marketing (MTM), we frequently work on website projects where we assess current performance and either develop a custom website from scratch or revamp specific parts to boost functionality. Over our sixteen years of developing and designing websites, we’ve encountered several common website issues that can hinder a company’s online presence and effectiveness. Here are the most common website problems we see and how we address them.

Problem 1: Security Vulnerabilities

Cyberattacks have more than doubled since the pandemic, and the global cost of cybercrime is expected to reach $23.84 trillion by 2027. Security vulnerabilities can expose your website to hackers or cyberattacks, jeopardizing your company’s reputation and operations. If your URL is hijacked, it can redirect users to malicious sites, causing a loss of trust that is difficult to rebuild. Security breaches can lead to sensitive customer data being compromised, potentially resulting in legal consequences and financial losses. Moreover, a compromised website can suffer from decreased search engine rankings and increased downtime, affecting your business’s online visibility and revenue.

MTM’s Solution:

• Web Application Firewalls (WAFs): We deploy industry-leading WAFs to protect against malicious traffic, vulnerabilities, and brute-force login attempts. Our firewalls operate at the endpoint and continuously monitor traffic patterns to detect and mitigate threats in real-time, providing a robust shield against cyberattacks.
• Centralized Management: We utilize tools compatible with centralized management, enabling efficient security monitoring across multiple sites. This centralized approach allows for streamlined updates and consistent security policies, ensuring all your web properties remain protected.
• Secure Hosting: We recommend hosting platforms meeting SOC 2 standards with integrated security features like automatic updates, free SSL certificates, WAFs, and multi-factor authentication. These platforms provide a secure foundation for your website, with continuous threat detection and proactive security measures to safeguard your data and ensure high availability.

Problem 2: Prioritizing Personal Preferences Over Audience Needs

Focusing on personal preferences rather than the audience’s wants can lead to a website that fails to engage potential customers. Key information such as product details, pricing, benefits, and contact information must be easily accessible to prevent high bounce rates. Designing a website based on the preferences of internal stakeholders rather than user data can miss critical elements that drive conversions. This disconnect can result in a user experience that frustrates visitors, causing them to leave without taking the desired actions.

MTM’s Solution:

• Audience Research: We conduct comprehensive research to understand your audience, market, and competitors, ensuring your website resonates with visitors and meets business goals. This research includes analyzing customer personas, user behaviors, and feedback to tailor the website’s content and design to your target audience’s needs and preferences.
• Content and Design: We create or revamp content to align with user needs and your objectives, whether driving traffic, conversions, or newsletter sign-ups. Our designs are aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly, optimizing the customer journey. By incorporating clear calls-to-action, intuitive navigation, and visually appealing layouts, we enhance the overall user experience and encourage engagement.
• Conversion Optimization: We strategically design websites to maximize conversions using A/B testing, heat mapping, and more. These tools allow us to test different pages and determine the most effective design. By continuously optimizing the website based on actual user data, we ensure it remains effective in achieving your business goals.
• ADA Compliance: We audit and resolve ADA compliance issues to ensure your site is accessible and performs at its best. Ensuring your website meets accessibility standards broadens your audience and enhances usability for all visitors, providing a more inclusive online experience.

Problem 3: Lack of Technical and On-Page SEO

A website not optimized for search engines will result in low traffic and conversions. Proper SEO ensures that your site appears in relevant searches, helping prospects find you over competitors. Without effective SEO, your website may not rank well on search engine results pages (SERPs), causing missed opportunities for organic traffic. Poor SEO practices can also lead to slow page load times, broken links, and poor mobile usability, negatively impacting user experience and search rankings.

MTM’s Solution:

• SEO Optimization: We optimize websites for higher SEO rankings through thorough keyword research and implementation. This drives traffic and conversions by making your site easily discoverable. Our SEO strategy includes on-page and technical SEO elements, such as optimizing meta tags, improving site speed, and ensuring mobile-friendliness.
• Keyword Strategy: We conduct keyword research to identify the keywords, phrases, and questions your customers use, ensuring your content aligns with their search intent. Targeting relevant keywords, we help improve your website’s visibility and attract high-quality traffic.
• Content Optimization: We enhance your website’s content to include strategic keywords naturally and effectively, ensuring it provides value to readers while meeting SEO best practices. This includes creating high-quality blog posts, landing pages, and product descriptions that are both informative and optimized for search engines.
• Technical SEO: Our technical SEO services address backend issues affecting search engine crawling and indexing. This includes optimizing site architecture, improving page load speeds, fixing broken links, and implementing schema markup to enhance search engine understanding of your content.

Problem 4: Using Templates or Heavy Builders

Templates and heavy website builders, like Wix or Squarespace, offer limited customization and can hinder performance and scalability. These platforms may only partially align with your company’s unique needs. Websites built on such platforms often suffer from slower load times, limited functionality, and challenges in achieving a distinctive brand presence. Moreover, these limitations can become more pronounced as your business grows, necessitating costly and time-consuming overhauls.

MTM’s Solution:

• Custom Website Development: We build completely custom websites tailored to your business needs and goals. This approach ensures:
  • Unbridled Creativity: Freedom from template constraints allows for a website that aligns with your brand. We work closely with clients to create a unique website that reflects your brand and provides a distinctive online presence.
  • Optimized Performance: Custom sites, including faster loading times and better mobile responsiveness, are developed for optimal performance. Focusing on clean code and efficient design ensures an engaging and frictionless user experience.
  • Holistic Integration: Seamless integration with other business systems, such as e-commerce platforms, CRM systems, or marketing automation tools. This enables streamlined workflows and enhanced functionality, making managing and growing your business online more accessible.
  • Future-Readiness: Customization ensures your website can adapt to evolving digital trends and technologies without major overhauls. Whether incorporating new features, updating the design, or scaling to accommodate increased traffic, a custom-built site provides the flexibility to meet changing needs.

Addressing common website issues like security vulnerabilities, ensuring your website meets audience needs, optimizing for SEO, and moving beyond basic templates is crucial for online success. At Madison Taylor Marketing, we offer personalized solutions to ensure your website is secure, user-friendly, SEO-optimized, and uniquely yours. Investing in a well-designed, safe, and optimized website is a smart move that builds trust, engages visitors, and drives business growth. Focusing on these key areas will create a high-performing website that meets and exceeds your business goals.