Ever Wondered What Challenges
Other People With Their Web Site ?

Ever wondered what challenges are faced by other webmasters
and owners in the design and promotion of their websites ?

Well I certainly have and so I decided to try and find out.

I created a short survey which asked the following questions:

1. How long have you been running a website ?

2. What challenges do you face right now with the DESIGN of your website ?

3. What challenges do you face right now with the PROMOTION of your website ?

4. What challenges do you face with your web business over the next 12 months ?

5. What is your Number ONE single biggest problem in running your web business ?

6. What is your 2ND single biggest problem in running your web business ?

7. How experienced do you consider yourself with all the areas of WEB DESIGN ?

8. How experienced do you consider yourself with the PROMOTION of a web site ?

For most questions respondents were asked to choose their answers from a list and could select as many answers as they thought applied to them.

In answer to Q1.
How long have they been running a website ?

• 29.85% answered less than 6 months
• 11.95% said 6 to 12 months
• 20.9% said 1 to 2 years
• 37.3% had more than 2 years experience

To answer Q2. What challenges do they face right now with the DESIGN of their website, respondents were given 36 possible answers to choose from.

The top 10 challenges respondents gave in DESIGN were, in order:

1. Optimizing Web Pages for Search Engines
2. Optimizing a Web site for Search Engines
3. Choosing/adding a Link Directory
4. Adding and using RSS News Feeds
5. Tracking pages visitors view on their site
6. Finding content for the web site
7. Adding a content management system
8. Protecting content and downloads from theft
9. Adding and Using Ad Tracking
10. Optimizing Pages for Fast Download

To answer Q3. What challenges do they face right now with the PROMOTION of their website, respondents were given 24 possible answers to choose from.

The top 10 challenges respondents gave in PROMOTION were, in order:

1. Getting more visitors from search engines
2. Finding other sources to get more visitors
3. Gain/maintain more links to their web site
4. Writing content to attract search engines
5. How pages rank with search engines
6. Testing web pages for best changes to make
7. Create/distribute articles to get visitors
8. Learn What Interests Site Visitors
9. Create better headlines for web pages
10. Using Web Stats more effectively

In regard to challenges over the next 12 months the biggest problems in running a web business were Ranking with the Search Engines, Web site Promotion, Getting Enough Traffic and Converting it to Sales.

On how experienced respondents considered themselves with all areas of
WEB DESIGN the majority felt competent but would like to learn more.

When asked how experienced they considered themselves with
WEBSITE PROMOTION the majority knew how to do basic web promotion.

Conclusion
Search engine ranking and getting more traffic by what ever means continue to be the greatest challenges for website owners in 2005.

Other specific problems were in creating content, managing and getting links and finding the time to do it all. The majority of respondents felt they knew the basics about website promotion.

I have some good advice on this site to help with the 3rd highest issue with web design that of choosing an adding a link directory which you can find at
"10 Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Up a Link Directory."

Making Your Website Work for You