You Know Your Website Sucks If...

Be honest... Does your WordPress blog suck?

Be honest… Does your WordPress website suck? No, really — be honest. Is your website meeting your goals and expectations?

I am asked to provide my input on sites that suck. All the time. It’s not that the website proprietor sucks. It’s not that the website is all that bad-looking. It’s the actual totality of the website itself.

So how does that happen?

DIY and Success Costs $$

In my experience, it is due to the overeager DIY syndrome. The site owner wants to do what they want themselves without considering best practices or recommendations. Many times, it’s because they don’t want to spend even the minimal amount to get the help, skills, or services that will enhance any level of success.

Then add a dash of lack of skill (writing, design sense, layout considerations), and you have the perfect storm for failure. To succeed online, you need to do certain things. Some of those things cost money. Many of those things require your dedication and time.

Guidelines that are standard and customary (and necessary) to have a quality site are disregarded. Many times at the peril of meeting any reasonable goals.

Don’t Ignore Reality

There are many bloggers and website owners who believe they can produce “additional income” by starting a blog or a website. They then slap up a website with as many ads as possible in every spot and then some.

Even the best content cannot survive pop-ups the moment you land on a website and start reading. Then they keep on coming. Ads in the header, rising from the footer, on both sides, top, bottom… Yikes!

This approach is not based on reality but on the assumption that “that’s the ticket” to some effortless monthly income. In reality, very few start with the skills, solid knowledge, or most importantly, the work ethic to produce the results they desire (without a ton of elbow grease).

They saw a commercial that makes success look as easy as pushing a couple of buttons. They have an idea, a “solution” or “system,” and easy peasy all the way to the bank.

What surprises me is that some are intent on making their riches based on what they are willing to do, spend, and learn, rather than on what is necessary, standard, or customary. That’s a pretty big difference—that’s called a catalyst.

Many make efforts only on their terms. But then they expect to reap rewards similar to those of those who work 12 hours a day at their craft—for years—to make the big bucks.

So how do you know if your WordPress website sucks?

I’m not trying to insult anyone. Instead, I will share what my experience shows needs to be addressed, discussed, and taken seriously if you want to stand a chance of success. Take these tips to heart, process them, and you’ll do better.

You have nothing unique to offer.

If you searched and found thousands of sites already active on your subject of choice — that’s a tough hill to climb. You’ll never know where you rank because your rankings will be so many pages back that even you stop searching for yourself.

unique adjective:
having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable

Unless you have a plan, an angle, and a unique USP (unique selling proposition) compared to the thousands (or hundreds of thousands)s) of sites already covering your topic, your website unfortunately is nothing special.

How do you monetize your website? First, you need something to monetize.

Just slapping up an AI website with ads everywhere is the sign of a sucky site. Too many ads in the wrong places make visitors jump for the back button.

Speaking for myself, I reactively leave websites like this—just don’t have time to weed through all that. This “style” lets me know the content can’t stand on its own; otherwise, why would they drown it out with ads everywhere?

The site is also slower because all the advertisements are loading. I’m reading, and the screen moves to fit in another ad. To make things worse, the ads are of no interest to me. And then it dawns on me…

The site is clickbait. It features shallow articles with titles that insinuate they have what I am looking for, and I fell for it.

Site owners assume visitors will click on all those ads; they’ll get that paycheck and won’t have to work for the man. If only. Too much advertising is annoying, so this approach is not a valid business model.

You are not prepared to write a lot.

Content is what convinces visitors to stick around. You engage them by providing valuable, unique, and entertaining content. You want content that builds visitors’ trust and authority to subscribe to or buy what you offer. To take the action you want them to.

Thin, unhelpful content? Your website probably sucks.

Anyone who reads my stuff knows I’m not a fan of social media. But without active participation and encouraging engagement, you are crippled to start.

I’m lucky that my business has been established for 30 years, so word of mouth keeps me busy. However, if I were to start a new endeavor today, I would have to budget time and money to be effective on the social media platforms where my target audience hangs out.

There are too many social networks to be on 24/7 and do well. You don’t have to be everywhere; just be where you know they are. Choose 1-2 socials and concentrate on them first before expanding further.

You are scraping content from other feeds or websites.

Using other authors’ articles and images or scraping content feeds from other skilled and hardworking site owners can get you in trouble. If that’s what you need to do to have “content,” you need to rethink your entire plan, as that is not viable.

Do you have more content from other authors than your original content? Oh yeah, your website probably sucks.

Visually, your website is boring.

You are nothing special when you don’t have a great-looking, non-generic, uniquely you website that you’ve worked hard to make your own. You need to display your content in a visually appealing, user-friendly way that reflects your business and personality.

This means having your own look with unique graphics and structuring your content to make it easy to read. Don’t want to do that? Yeah, your website probably sucks.

Your navigation and menus are not fine-tuned.

You must provide straightforward, intuitive navigation. Here is where less is more applies.

Navigation should be about site visitors (not keyword stuffing). Have menus that don’t speak to what your site visitors seek or are overwhelming, and yep, your website probably sucks.

Your inner voice is keeping you down.

You find yourself thinking, “I don’t like to write,” “I can’t write,” and “I don’t have time for all this.” If you hear that in your head, learn to write or hire someone to help. Otherwise—sorry, your website probably sucks.

Does this sound like you?

I know—this isn’t very “musey” of me. But you know what? Sometimes you have to listen to someone who knows what’s actually involved so that you can be your best.

I can’t help those who don’t want to help themselves. To be honest, it frustrates me to be paid for advice that is then ignored.

When advice and direction are provided, and then I hear that “my way” takes too much work (or cost, or time, <insert excuse here>). So we ignore the reality of what is required and still think our website is the best thing since sliced bread. And that we will make boatloads of money.

I haven’t found those easy riches on the web in all my years in this business. But my business is busy and successful, and I have the luxury of choosing who I do business with because I worked hard and earned it.

I still work hard to keep learning and keep up, and sometimes it is overwhelming. That’s what it takes—and lucky for me, I enjoy it. As with anything on or off-line, enjoying the process can make all the difference in the world.

There is no “easy” income.

Those who surmise I sit on my couch eating bonbons with my laptop in my hoodie-footie P.J.s want my life. (Yes, a recent contact stated that was their goal — “to be just like you…”).

I’m not fond of bonbons and don’t have hoodie-footie P.J.s. I put in the hours and work hard to accomplish my goals. That means I do not water down what I need to do based on what I may be willing to do.

That is the attitude you need and what it takes to live “off the Internet. ”

How hard are you willing to work?

All this is easy for me because I have a work ethic. My father taught me I could have anything I wanted if I were willing to work for it. So, I don’t hesitate to work hard, learn new skills, and try new things.

Yeah, I may fail and make mistakes. But I learn something of value every single time.

Those who work on their niche improve their chances of success. Niche is where it’s at.

Site owners must constantly work on their websites to make them look great and be regularly updated with useful information. Coincidentally, this approach will also allow you to produce some residual income over time.

Yeah, some level — over time.

So, if you want a WordPress website that doesn’t suck, ask yourself these questions…

Have you researched your topic to find an angle, perhaps simply by embedding your personality that no one else has tapped into? Is your website niche something that you know well and are passionate about?
Are you willing to work aggressively to improve your writing skills, be active on social media, and answer site emails and comments for as many hours daily as necessary to reach your goals?
Do you know where your target audience hangs out (X, Facebook, Insta, Pinterest, TikTok) so you can engage there?
Do you understand that this is an ongoing learning process that never ends? Never. Ends.

If you don’t answer the above questions with an enthusiastic “YES!” chances are your website will suck and your results minimal at best. So now you know what you need to do to start. That’s right, this is just the beginning of what you need to consider to not suck.

So what’s your next move?

At your service,