Information provided by Business News Daily editorial staff contributed to the writing and reporting in this article

 

1. Is your site mobile responsive.

One good reason why it should be.

If potential customers land on your site but find it difficult to read or navigate on a mobile device, they may simply abandon you in favor of a competitor.  Have you turned your cell phone horizontally?  How does it look?

Furthermore, a negative mobile user experience affects your website in search engine rankings, making it harder for users to find you through a Google search – which brings us to our next point.

 

2. Be sure it is easy to find.

You need a domain name that either matches your company name or describes your business in some way. Additionally, you can have multiple domains that point to the website.

It’s recommend you work with an SEO expert to assist with best practices, keyword research, content marketing and paid advertisement campaigns to drive traffic to your website.

Therefore, consider outsourcing your web development to MM Website Design.  We have experts for branding, SEO, and content marketing.  We offer advice and guidance in creating your website and landing pages.

 

3. Place your contact information above the fold.

 

Your contact information should be visible, preferably at the top of the homepage.  If you use social media to connect with customers, put your social links in the website header or footer, where they are easily found.

 

 

4. User friendly navigation.

Keep your top-level navigation menu to five clearly labeled tabs with a clear way to get back to the homepage no matter where a visitor is on your website.

 

5. Keep your pages uncluttered.

Why?  Readers need to be able to put information in context. Too much information leads to overload of the mind. 

 

Basically, the brain is unable to retain a lot of new information. Be sure to use a good balance of text and graphics that presents a clean page.

 

One way to keep it simple is to cut the social widgets, such as a Twitter feed on your site. 

 

6. Is your information accurate?

Inaccurate information will turn off consumers, whether it’s a wrong number, outdated product information or simple grammatical errors.

 

You should not only proofread each page before it goes live, but also periodically check each page, especially after making updates anywhere else.

 

Tip: Whenever you update core information about your business on your website, also be sure to update your social media pages, Google My Business, Yelp, and other sites on which your business might appear.

 

7. Respect the need for speed.

A study by digital marketing company Akamai found that 88.5% of web users will leave a website if it loads too slowly. A slow sight could simply be the server you are using.  I have several websites on other servers, per the client’s request and no matter what I do, they run slow due to the server.  Not fun.

It’s important to make sure your website runs smoothly by keeping the software up to date, optimizing videos and images for quicker downloads, and using a website host that can handle your bandwidth demands.

You can also download our free basic behind the scenes monthly website maintenance checklist HERE

 

8. Have a call to action.

Each page on your website should entice the reader to do something. In other words, you need to give them a call to action. 

 

 

9. Keep your design simple.

Limit the use of fonts, colors, and GIFs, which can distract and pull the eyes away from the focus of the webpage. 

 

This is especially important when it comes to mobile responsiveness, which is a major factor in how Google ranks websites in its algorithm.

 

The better a website’s ranking, the higher it appears on the search engine results page (SERP).

 

If a competitor is mobile-friendly and your website isn’t, you could get pushed down lower in your customers’ search results.

 

10. Get personal.

Just as brick-and-mortar businesses invest heavily in their storefronts to represent their brand images, you should do the same.  Your website is like your storefront and retailers need to create high-quality online experiences in keeping with the brand perception.

 

Your About Us page should not be a dry block of text about your company. It’s recommended to include a good photo of yourself or your team to personalize the experience for your customers.

 

11. Double check that your website copy is customer-oriented.

 

Potential customers come to your website to get information that is useful to them. Sometimes they come for educational content on your blog. 

 

Present relevant information that will engage and show value and to build their trust in your expertise.

 

When you are planning the content on your website, try to think about it from the customer’s point of view. Need help with content?  We’ve got it covered.

 

12. Incorporate SEO best practices.

Whether or not you have the best website in your industry, it won’t do you a bit of good if people can’t find it. Want to know more?  Let us know.

 

Additionally, Yoast is a great plugin to assist with the basics.  Green is good!

oast