Many people would love to have someone critique their site. Is it optimized enough? Are the graphics okay? Is the copy compelling? Can people navigate easily? A marketing consultant – and there are a few good ones out there – will do just that.
If you ask a marketing specialist to critique your site, you had better believe this person will find something you didn’t do right. Not only that, be prepared to be told that your site isn’t as great as you thought it was. The critics might tell you the header picture is too big, the slogan isn’t clear, or the navigation is lacking
While some of the criticism might not work for you, there is probably plenty of advice that you could apply to your site. The trick is finding what combination of suggestions works for you and your business. You don’t have to try all the consultant’s suggestions at once. Try a few, and if those don’t get you results, try a few more.
What do you do when you hit an area of your site that doesn’t please your critics, but it does please you? Do you give in and do what others feel is best? Or do you say, “This is my site. I like it, and it’s staying this way.”
At some point you have to decide when enough is enough. Opinions are like eating potato chips: Nobody can stop at just one. If you like something in particular about your site and feel it is representative of your company’s image, don’t take it out just because a critic thinks it won’t work.
In the end, it’s your call. Get the advice and suggestions, take the information you can use, find what works for you and toss the rest.
