One of the reasons I comment so much about websites is because, for freelancers, a website is usually your main, 24-hour-a-day marketing tool. It’s also the first impression many potential clients will get about you.
So here’s another one of my “DON’T DO THAT!” ideas.
Have you ever visited a site and, as you’re clicking on the links, hit one of those “Under Construction” or “Check Back Soon” messages? Or even worse, you get one of those helpful icons that show a construction work busily working away in case you’re not bright enough to figure out what the words “Under Construction” mean.
Ok…we get it…your site isn’t done. But here are the problems that go along with pointing it out to people. (And by people, I mean clients and potential clients.)
1. By having links that lead to an unfinished page, you’re wasting other people’s time. Don’t do that. Respect the fact that clients and potential clients visiting your site don’t have time to waste.
If you’re fearful that someone will think you’re forgetful by not including pages that you simply haven’t had time for, put a small note at the bottom of your landing page that says something like, “This site is currently undergoing an upgrade. If you don’t see a particular bit of information you’re looking for, feel free to contact me at _______.”
2. At least in the cases I’ve seen where there was a page with “Check Back Soon”, the word “soon” seemed to have a very broad definition. What does “soon” mean to you? Should I check back next week? Next Month? I can think of one case where a year later the site owner was still telling visitors to check back “soon”.
If people actually take you up on your offer to waste more of their time by continually checking in with you, you look bad when days turn into weeks and months, and you’re still saying “soon” or “later”. The fact is, despite our best intentions, if we didn’t get those pages done in the beginning, it gets easier and easier to keep putting them off as we’re off doing other higher-priority tasks.
Remember, your website is supposed to do everything it can to convince a potential client to either hire you or at least make contact with you. Get rid of anything that doesn’t help you with that goal, including those “I’m not finished yet!” pages.
I’m pretty firm in my belief that if it’s not helping you, it’s hurting you…there’s no middle ground.
