Is your Website Sending the Wrong Message?

When customers look at your website, they see much more than what you’re telling them. They take in the design, the wording, the layout and the images. Together, these elements can make you look professional, give your business personality or make you look like a fool.

In the following article, “Unprofessional Professional Websites,” The author highlights and explains a prospective client’s impression of a (non Yakima) website.
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Unprofessional “professional” websites

Originally published at the 30queries30days.com Freelance Writing Website. Copyright Lisa Russell, used with permission

Dear business owners- don’t make ridiculously complicated policies that make customers NOT want to contact you.

For example- this “email policy” from the Black River Outdoor Center in South Carolina

If You Contact Us by eMail … please use relevant wording in your eMails such as “Subject: Kayak Tour Info” or “Subject: I want to buy a canoe”. Do not leave the Subject line blank. Avoid names that may suggest other than legitimate intentions such as “From: Hot Babe”. Because of spam and viruses, such eMails are automatically deleted without opening. Be assured that if we send a return eMail to you:

1. our eMail is scanned by ATT for viruses and junk before downloading
2. our eMail is scanned on our computer by McAfee’s AntiVirus
3. we do not keep your eMail address nor provide it to others for spamming

Email isn’t this scary, folks. This company should probably install a contact form to their website, in order to make the subject lines relevant and prevent unwanted attachments, instead of insulting intelligent customers with such asinine instructions. Perhaps it was meant to be humorous. Why would anyone looking to rent a canoe send a note with the subject line “From a  hot babe” And, assuming that the sender actually was a hot babe, would their message be ignored if they were actually wanting to rent a canoe?  Hot babes canoe, can you?

I saved the best for last, though because here’s what it says just above that crazy policy:

If You Want to Make Tour or Rental Reservations, Please … call the store Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm by telephone (843) 546-4840. We need to ask you some specific questions and collect information. It will go much faster than swapping emails back and forth over several days since we only check our very slow dial-up access a couple times a week. Thanks!

So, while I can’t imagine why a business wouldn’t have a form in order to automate this work of collecting information and asking specific questions- they’re on dial up?  Seriously? When I read this policy, I was amazed that they were still in business, then I scrolled down to realize that they’re for sale.  I have some advice for the new owners; get a real website, and have a nice day.

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UPDATE- the new website for Black River Outdoor Center is very well done, much easier to navigate and professionally written. I wish the owners the best of luck in their exciting new endeavor. It looks like they’re off to a good start already.