I get this question more than any other question right out of the box in a new client meeting. “What do you think of my website? Is it bad?”
Well, I could answer bluntly and say “Yes, it’s awful. How dare you not have called me sooner?” But usually, I answer with a simple politician/teacher respond to a question with a question “Do you think it’s bad?”
Having an impartial third-party look at something that you’ve worked hard on and asking if it’s bad is almost answering the question without me talking. If you are asking me if it’s bad, and we are here having this conversation about your web site, it’s obviously not working for you.
Which means, “Yes, it’s awful.”
I have had several meetings with clients that have very simple & nice websites that are well laid out, very operational and somewhat current-looking. But they aren’t achieving the results that they were looking for. So in that regard, they need something different. It doesn’t make your site “bad” – it just isn’t right for you.
So take a look at your website through new eyes. My father, CEO of Young’s Dairy, has a post-it note on his computer at work that says “Come in to work stupid. Every day.” It’s a great quote from Jim Sullivan that is relevant for any business person. Look at what you are doing through fresh eyes, especially your web site. Your web presence usually is the first impression of your business for potential clients. If it isn’t getting the message you want to portray across to the user, you need something different. Whether that be some new wording or a new, easier to use layout/framework.
But yes, really, your web site is bad. Just as with a girlfriend trying on a new dress, you never tell her that to her face, just get her a gift card to Ann Taylor Loft. Right, CFO? 🙂