Introduction
Much of the Internet is littered with websites that were created and published because someone thought they needed a site. It’s like going to a seminar and making sure to cross it off your list.
I agree, you need a website. But, you really need a “good” website; one that conveys the benefits of your business to your customers and prospects. Note that I didn’t say you need a fancy site or some graphically enhanced masterpiece. A good website is one that achieves good usability and the business objective set for it.
Business goals for my website?
Yes, your website is a business tool, not an art project. Be sure to think about what you want your site to achieve in the first place.
An effective website is a harder job than you think, and there are usually no quick fixes, but this list should give you a few ways to make some improvements right away, without necessarily having to start from scratch.
As a business tool, it should always invest as much in your website as you do in any other aspect of your business. Your website should be one of your main marketing tools. If your website isn’t “up to the mark,” you’ll miss the opportunity to convey to your prospects what you have to offer and they’ll move on.
Stop losing those sales!
usability
Usability matters. There’s a simple rule on the internet: if people can’t use your site, they won’t.
Navigation
Make sure your navigation is easy to use and consistent. You You may be able to use it, but would a newcomer be able to find the information you want? Remember, most of your website visitors are there for the first time.
contextual links
Remember those “Click Here” links everyone used to use? They are a throwback to the days when people had no idea how to use a web page. Nowadays, everyone knows that hyperlinks can be clicked, so it is much better to have actual relevant text as the link.
In addition to user experience, search engines use it as an indicator of relevant search terms for their indexes.
Change the “Click Here” links to something like “Learn more about motorcycle safety” or “Download the 10 Things Guide.”
There are some exceptions to this rule, such as after a content box with a summary, a small “Read More” link might be appropriate.
Alternate title and attributes
These are elements that are part of the web page’s code that you don’t see directly. They appear when you hover over them or if there’s a problem uploading an image. If you’ve heard the term “ToolTips,” you probably know what they are. See the image below to see how they display in a web browser. Use them to clearly indicate what the link is about. For example: “Learn more about organic plastics” If you haven’t used any, a quick fix is to start adding them to the navigation and other elements on every page.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the practice of preparing your website so that it is ready for both search engine indexing and users. If you don’t take your users into account, they won’t be able to use your site, which can eventually lower your rankings. Remember, if you don’t make sure your site can be indexed correctly, no one will find it.
title tag
Users do not see the title tag on the page itself, if it is displayed in the title bar of web browsers.
Add consistent, relevant but different titles (title tag) to each page of your site. Check that they are short and describe the content of the page and make sure you have your keywords listed.
Link
Internal links (from one page to another on your site from your site’s content) are just as important as external links. In addition to the usability gain, you can use your keywords within the link text and anchor tag, which helps with site indexing.
External links (links to other websites) are also a good idea. Be sure to link to relevant sites and information; otherwise, you could be seen as a link farmer (trying to scam search engines). If you have a site about dogs, your external links might be to a site about pet food ingredients, custom dog tags, etc.
Strengthen keywords/phrases
Highlight some keywords and phrases by adding a “” tag (which makes text bold) around them. This should not be overused, but it can provide some positive results.
header tags
Use H1 and H2 heading tags to get your keywords noticed. The H1 tag is the most important – try using some keywords there. Use only one H1 per page. The web code looks like this:
[h1]Organic Dog Collars[/h1]
Do not go crazy
It is very important that you do not go overboard and try to pack all the tips listed here into each text on your site. Search engine companies look down on this and assume you are trying to trick them. They may blacklist you and remove your site from the index altogether.
design development
Photos
The use of images is very important, but make sure they are correctly optimized for the web. If you don’t, your page will take a long time to display (render) and if it takes more than a couple of seconds, many users just hit the back button. There are many programs that you can use to compress your photos properly. Something around 85% (15% compressed) is a good starting point.
Contrast/Text Size
Make sure contrast levels and text sizes are in place. While there aren’t really any “rules”, you’ll find the right balance to be one of those nice things you don’t really notice. Try looking this up on a few websites and see if you can find some good and bad examples.
Consistency
There is nothing worse than a website that doesn’t perform consistently. It can be quite difficult for a user to learn how to put together a website without having to remember that they don’t use the Home or Contact Us link the same way everywhere. Be sure to make your site easy for people. That means it should try to be, at least to some degree, like every other website out there. Beyond that, make sure all your pages act the same.
A very good example of something to avoid is having a main menu (the main site navigation) that changes per page (some pages have more items than others). Make sure your main menu stays the same, but feel free to add a submenu or contextual links.
Evidence
Be sure to check your site to confirm that everything is working, especially after any major changes. Another fun thing you can do is have someone else find something on your site while you’re looking (it doesn’t help right now). If they can’t find it, it’s not built correctly.
Don’t take your site personally, it’s a business tool, treat it like you would a merchandising display or an addition you’re putting in the newspaper. Short of perfect is unacceptable.
Delighted
The content of your site is its reason for being. That is why people come to your site. Make sure it’s clear why it’s there and get it to them in the shortest amount of time possible.
Text and white space
Be sure to leave enough space around your content so that it is well separated and easy to follow visually. Here is a practical example. Can you see how the later version is easier to read and has the keywords highlighted and linked?
Before:
Widgets. We’ve been in business a long time and have found that when you try to do the right thing, people learn to trust you. With that in mind, our widgets are made from high-quality materials and only best-in-class manufacturing processes. If you need a good widget, consider our widgets. We’d love to talk to you about your widget needs.
We’re honest, we work hard, and we’re the place to go for all your widget supplies. We are also a GREAT value. Don’t miss out on the best widget deals in town. If you are someone who needs widgets and widget accessories, look no further. We also have contracts for widget tuning and cleaning services to make sure your blingo tolerances don’t exceed .3
We love widgets!
After:
Widgets. All of our widgets are designed to make your life easier. We deliver widgets that are:
- Made of supertanium,
- Never have defects, guaranteed!
- Our widgets are easy to use.
service widget. We also have a full service widget store.
- 24/7 service widget
- Settings make your widget work great
- Annual widget service contracts save you money.
Write for your audience
Always remember, your site is not for you, it is for your users. You may be excited about what you do and what you offer or your track record etc, but make sure your content is properly prepared for the web audience. Only place content that enhances the experience of your visitors. You want them to buy from you, so you throw out everything else.
Here are some things to make sure you do:
- Bulleted lists. Separate anything that looks like a list into a list.
- Less is more. People really don’t like to read on a computer screen, so be very, very concise. Don’t take your content personally.
- Highlight it. It is important to bold words and phrases as necessary to draw the proper attention to them. This is especially true for any contextual header.
- Contextual links. As mentioned above, be sure to link to relevant information within your content. Use key words and phrases as links to find more information that way, as your user reads, they can jump to that area of interest right away.
Guide your users
If someone is on your site reading about something in particular, then it’s fair to assume that they were interested in that information. Try pointing them somewhere related, be it another article/area on your site, a related product or service, or even off-site resources. By doing this, you are showing that you care about their interests and not just making a sale.
why and for what
When writing content, be sure to post information that you know why it’s there and what it’s for (from the user’s perspective). Don’t throw out a text on the history of the banking system just because you find it fascinating.
Be very clear and concise. If you have an article about financial security, make sure the purpose of that information is obvious and tell your users what to do about it.
If they’re looking at the information, they must be interested in your future, so be sure to let them know if they should “fill out this form” or “call us today for a free consultation” or whatever.
wrap
So, we’ve given you a lot to think about. That can be good and bad. Don’t feel overwhelmed by everything you just read. Take one idea at a time and work on your site. Consistency is key; it’s better to have everything look and function the same, even if it’s not ideal, than to have one or two perfect pages and yet the rest of the site is still a mess.