A very common mistake I see website owners do over and over again is to put social media links in a very prominent position on their sites sometimes even overshadowing their main message.
Here is the thought I feel they should be aware of:
Use Social media sites to drive traffic TO your website and NOT AWAY from it.Your Site -XXXXXX ?> Social Sites (Incorrect)
Social Sites -----> Your Site (Correct)
What are you saying to the visitor by putting the social media icons upfront? Visit my facebook page, dont bother with my site? Here is an alien concept. How about a website with no social media icons or link going outwards to social sites?
Why do people put up these links? It's fashionable. It's what is done. I don't want the visitor to miss my facebook page.
Instead of the social media icons how about these icons ? Bookmark this page or Send this link to a friend.
The greatest trick the social sites have pulled is to get a lot of people to give them free traffic at the cost of their own sites and I feel thats terrible. Social media is an inward bound tool not an outward bound tool.
So stop funding the social media sites with your own websites valuable traffic.
Not so cheerful,
Ron
