Everyone knows that websites are one of the most critical marketing features for a business, no matter the industry. However, knowing what makes a good website isn’t such common knowledge.
Here are six easy changes and additions you can make to your website to get ahead of your competitors.
This Way, That Way, Forwards & Backwards
Customers want ease and convenience when it comes to your website. Visitors normally only spend a few seconds on your website before deciding to stay or go back to the search results, so having all the correct information in all the right places is vital. Make sure everything is linked and use buttons or bold fonts to emphasise the fact that if they click there, it will take them to another page.
The Need For Speed
Making sure your website loads quickly is also critical. No one wants to wait five minutes to see if your site is worth looking at. Making sure your site is working efficiently means people are more likely to stay on your website rather than heading to a competitor’s to find the information they need.
Google use both indicators (how long people stay on your site and the speed it loads) as ranking factors. Get them right, and not only will visitors enjoy using your site more, but Google will send you more of its visitors.
Just Keep Writing
Despite the common thought that blogs are only for beauty influencers and travel writers, blogs are a really important feature of any website, no matter what industry you’re in. Blogs are a great way of creating relevant content with keywords and links and increasing the time visitors spend on your website. This means they are like SEO hot spots, which makes your website rank higher on Google, be on the receiving end of increased repeat visitors and be shared on platforms like social media.
Having a frequent blog is a great way to start seeing an increase in your repeat website visitors. If you consistently post on a Thursday, people will begin to return to your site every Thursday to read your new blog. A blog is also a convenient tool if you have commonly asked questions, as if you have a relevant blog post, you can share the link with those asking the question. This puts you ahead of competitors as customers will be impressed that you have all the information they need so readily available, thus earning their trust in you.
Link It All Together
Both internal and external page links are a great way to improve your website. Having easy access to relevant pages in your site make navigation much easier, and linking to external pages – or having them link to you – is a great way to boost SEO. Having trustworthy sites link your website tells Google your information is valuable, making the search engine want to place you higher when people search for your industry.
Having links between your website pages make it easy for visitors to find their way around your website and helps Google understand what your pages are about. Make sure you link using relevant anchor text. For example, we have used Hastings Videographer for this link rather than click here.
Always ensure your links are working and that it’s obvious they take you to different pages, as again, this helps with the convenience and ease of navigation. When creating external links, set them to open in a new tab as this means people who click on them can quickly get back to the page they were on, making them stay on your website for longer.
Make It Pretty and on-brand
Your website needs to provide a great first impression. First impressions count, and they need to be relevant to your industry so that people trust you.
No one look is suitable for everyone. For example, if I met my financial advisor for the first time and they were dressed like a builder, I may not feel they are professional enough. Equally, if a builder came round my house but were in a three piece suit, I would worry I am just seeing a salesperson and not feel as comfortable as if they looked like they could build a wall!
Ensure your website looks professional and is evident in what you provide. Make sure it matches the rest of your brand. Colours, logos, tone of voice. These should all follow the same standards as your social media, your business cards and flyers and how you deliver the work.
Have a Safe Landing
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation which, put simply, means optimising your site’s chances of climbing up the pages of Google. One way to do this is to try and include topic-specific keywords in your website content so that Google recognises your site contains relevant information when someone searches for that topic. Landing pages are ideal for creating a SEO-rich areas on your website.
For example, if you offer your services in different areas of the country, create a website page for each area. Include information about your service and how you operate in that specific area, making sure you use topic-specific keywords, such as ‘Holiday lets in Eastbourne.’ When someone searches for your service in their area, your landing page is more likely to show up on Google, thus leading to them clicking the link to the landing page then exploring your website further if they find the information they were looking for.
Need A Helping Hand?
We’ve created many websites over the years here at MJS Media, and we’d love to build yours too! We know exactly how to make your website stand out from the crowd, as well as how to get it above those of your competitors. If you’re struggling with where to start, get in touch with us today and we can work together to build you the best website you’ve ever seen!
