Podcast Summary Article
In this episode of Brands on Tap, the team tackles a problem many businesses face (but few want to admit): why websites fail. From unclear goals to poor user experience, the discussion breaks down the common pitfalls that lead to underperforming websites—and what to do instead.
🧨 What Do We Mean by “Fail”?
The episode defines a failed website as one that:
- Doesn’t convert visitors into customers or leads.
- Fails to meet its business or user goals.
- Becomes outdated or irrelevant soon after launch.
- Doesn’t serve the needs of the target audience.
Failure doesn’t always mean the site crashes—it’s more often strategic or functional underperformance.
🧭 Pitfall #1: No Clear Objective
One of the most common reasons for failure is a lack of clarity around purpose:
- What is the website meant to do?
- Who is it for?
- What action should a visitor take?
Without these answers, the design and content often become directionless—and so does the user.
🧑💻 Pitfall #2: Designing for the Business, Not the User
The hosts point out that many sites are designed around what a company wants to say, rather than what a visitor needs to hear. This leads to:
- Overly corporate or internal language.
- Ignoring pain points or questions from the user’s perspective.
- Friction in the user journey.
Instead, businesses should think like a user and focus on helping them accomplish something quickly and clearly.
📉 Pitfall #3: Ignoring Performance and SEO
A website might look great, but if it’s slow, unstructured, or lacks basic SEO hygiene, it’s unlikely to be discovered or retained. Key fail points include:
- Slow load times
- Missing metadata and headings
- Poor mobile responsiveness
Modern websites must be technically sound as well as visually appealing.
📦 Pitfall #4: Treating a Website Like a One-Off Project
Too often, businesses treat a website like a finished product rather than an evolving tool. This leads to stagnation, including:
- Outdated content
- Unused features
- Broken links or plugin issues
The solution? View your site as a living platform—one that evolves with your business and audience needs.
💡 How to Avoid These Failures
The team suggests that avoiding failure involves:
- Setting SMART goals for the site from day one.
- Involving the right stakeholders early—design, dev, marketing, and leadership.
- Creating content based on real user questions and journeys.
- Committing to post-launch support, testing, and improvements.
📌 Final Thoughts
Websites fail for many reasons, but almost all of them are avoidable with the right planning and perspective. As the team says: “It’s not about what you want to show—it’s about what your users need to do.”