Almost every business has a website, but how many have one that really works for them? Many business owners really don’t know much about their website or how they can use it to improve their business – and therefore their bottom line. Here are some top tips to help you get the most out of your website!
Step 1: Find out where your site is lacking
The only way to know if your website is actually working – and if people are finding it – is to take a look at the analytics. Both Google and Bing have website analytics to help you figure out the “who, what when and how” of your website hits. Google analytics is the more accurate of the two and can be installed on your website by either a web developer or by the site owner. I can’t stress enough how invaluable this information is to a business. If, for example, you find that you are not getting very many visitors, and are ranking low on all the key search terms, you may need to have a site evaluation done to find out why.
Step 2: Textual Content is everything. Period.
The content on your site is the most important element of your website. If you’re not a wordsmith, hire a copywriter – it’s worth it! Content is what people connect with, it’s what keeps people on your site longer and what keeps them coming back for more. It’s also 100 per cent of what all search engines look for and how you are ranked! If your site has no content, you’ll have no ranking! Google and Bing can’t tell what a picture is, so that’s why web developers attach code to each image called an “alt” tag that contains text to tell search engines what the image is.
Step 3: Get rid of the clutter!
Sites these days can be so visually overloaded with images that a user doesn’t know where to look or go next. Make your website easy to find and navigate, avoid competing calls to action,
and avoid looking desperate by trying to “stuff” as much as you can above the fold. A beautiful, clean site with a strong statement will invite visitors to look further into your site to find out more.
It’s always a good idea to invest in good professional photography and graphics, or professional stock photos. Visitors can sniff out generic photos in a second, and they’ll be left with a generic impression of your company. Poor quality photos and graphics are worse than having none at all. Show your visitors your individuality by investing in professional level visuals.
Step 4: Make sure your contact info is at the top of every page!
Many people will come to your site just to grab your contact information! Don’t make them hunt for it! Make sure that your contact information is at the top of every page, and that your phone number and address are clickable on mobile devices so visitors can easily call or map your location on the go!
Step 5: Mobile Friendly and Compliant design
These days it’s commonplace for someone to surf using their tablet or smartphone. Is your site easily accessible for multiple devices? Does the design change so that it becomes easy to read? It’s becoming more and more important for your site to be optimized for multiple devices to retain your visitors. Your analytics can tell you how many people are visiting your site on mobile devices and if they drop off quickly. It is also imperative that your site is compliant for people with disabilities. As of January 1, 2015 organizations with more than 20 employees must have an accessible website. It won’t be long before all public and private businesses will have to have websites that adhere to the accessibility laws for people with disabilities. If you are unsure if your website complies, you should contact your web developer for more information.
Step 6: Fresh Content, Fresh Eyes!
Search engines love fresh content! Include a blog on your site and change your content regularly – find ways to always keep your content fresh and up to date. A stale, unchanged website will slide down the rankings.
Step 7: Use Social Media to pull more viewers to your site
Go to where your customers are! Social media is a great way to engage your current and potential customers and let them know what you do! Find out what social media platform makes the most sense for your target customers and join in! You can use social media to ask questions, feature deals and contests and give tips and tricks related to your business. Try to think of information and posts that feature sharable and likable content. Keep it relevant, short and always, always have a link back to your website. Hiring a qualified web designer and SEO expert and following these tips will keep your business website relevant, useful and sought-after.
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