Web Site Design Mistakes

Disclaimer: This article is based on my opinion and experience only. Your results may vary.

Web sites today need to get the customer to do business as quickly and easily as possible. I recommend not stuffing all the bells and whistles at them first, rather, invite them to learn more later.

Think of what you do if you were looking to buy a widget. You look online for a widget store.

You find your widget store on the net and the first thing you want to know is where it is located. Next you want to look at your widget choices (or available tee times), and the prices. If you see what you want, you look for the way to buy one. But here's another major point:

When you go back to the widget page to buy more widgets, you will click through to the site very quickly to the 'buy' link. If anything gets in your way to the buy button, you might have enough time to change your mind.

I was taught long ago that when a customer pulls out his wallet to make the purchase: DO NOT DISTRACT THAT CUSTOMER FOR ONE SECOND. RING IT UP, BUT DON'T CLOSE THE SALE - BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO SELL ADD ONS.

A web site needs to be set up that way - and it must load fast! People expect web sites to pop up virtually immediately. Even a 5-second delay can lose potential customers.

First time visitors to a golf course web site want three things as quickly as possible:

• What kind of course is it?

• Where is it?

• What are the fees?

• How do I book a tee time?

I am introduced to hundreds of golf courses by clients for one reason or another. The first thing I do is look up the golf course on the net. I enter the course name and state (sometimes the city if more than one course has the same name) and click the link to its web site. However, too many times I have to search through endless tee time resellers to find the subject golf course on its own web site.

Then, when I get to a golf course web site for the first time I look for the actual physical address so I can type it in Google Maps to see the aerial view. Too many times finding the address means another time-wasting search to find the address, which should be clearly identified on the top banner on the page. Good idea to show a phone number as well.

In this highly competitive golf course marketplace your course web site has to be decisive. What I mean by that is it needs to load quickly get to business fast - LIKE A LINK DIRECTLY TO THE ONLINE TEE SHEET.

The initial heading must answer a potential new customer's first questions: What is it? Where is it? What does it cost? How do I book a tee time?

The quick link to the tee sheet gets returning customers to book a tee time easily and fast.

So, your opening web page needs to have name of your golf course, type, yardage, par, and location. For instance (I know the logo below is kind of crappy):

Note: The address can be easily copied so the reader can paste the address into Google Maps, or a smart phone GPS address finder.

ONE MORE THING!

You must change or add things to your web site regularly. Adding content alerts search engines like Google as they look for new content. If you have members, or regular leagues, publish winners each event - even adding pictures when possible. Be sure to hook your web site up with Facebook and Twitter. It is such an easy and no-cost way to communicate with members and customers.

Your golf course web site will become as essential to your business as mowing greens, or stocking the pro shop. It's not a set-it-forget-it component. It needs attention virtually every day.

For a free consultation call me: 941-739-3990, or write: mike@golfmak.com