Managing the content on your website can sometimes seem like an impossible task, and you may not even know where to start. But fear not, here are our 7 simple things that you can do to improve your web presence.
1. Incorporate Responsive Design
In 2018, there is really no excuse not to have a website that works seamlessly on both mobile and desktop devices. In recent years, search engines such as Google have actually started hiding websites completely from search results if they have not been built responsively. A lot of businesses have even started developing their website with a "mobile first approach", meaning they optimise for mobile first, then ensure the website can scale gracefully to a larger laptop or desktop screen. Regardless of your approach, in the right hands adapting your website for a responsive design is fast and easy. Speak to us today about how we can update your website for a modern audience.
2. Add Calls to Action
A great way to reinforce the purpose of your website is by adding large Call to Action buttons around your site. They can be displayed prominently at the top of your homepage or even midway through content pages. Making them bold and easy to see in contrast to the other content on your site makes it easier for your customers to say yes to your sales proposition. Paired with a second "Learn More" button, it provides a commitment-free way to direct your customer through the site, and closer to their destination. The more barriers you put up, the less likely visitors are to make it to the end goal - be that your checkout or a contact page.
3. Freshen Up Your Content
Does your website contain out of date product information or contact details from 5 years ago? How recent was your last news item or blog article? Why not take the time to do a quick inventory of the information held on your #1 sales tool to make sure it is still current and correct. Not only will your regular visitors appreciate the change of scenery, but search engines like Google will actually prioritise websites who take the time to regularly update their content. Search engines prefer websites that are active. While we’re talking about optimising your content to improve your search engine ranking (SEO) have you thought about hiring a professional copywriter? They can ensure your content is keyword-rich for search engines, provide an external point of view to make sure your content is easy to understand a free from jargon, and most importantly make sure there are no typos or grammar mistakes.
4. De-Clutter Your Pages
As with our everyday lives, de-cluttering is a great way to prioritise what is really important to us. The same goes with your website. Having an crowded homepage chock full of images, text and animations will leave your visitor overwhelmed and unsure of where they need to go to find what they are looking for. Some simple ways to break up the clutter are:
Keeping It Simple - Instead of thinking what you can add to your site, think about what can be removed. Figure out what the objective of each page is, then check all the content on that page helps or hinders that objective.
Leaving Lots of Space - Adding space around paragraphs and headings will actually give the content more importance, and guide the visitors eye to the information you are trying to share with them.
Headings and Sub-Sections - Using strong and consistent heading styles will help break up large blocks of text and more easily help your visitor find the specific product or information they were looking for.
5. Optimise Slow Loading Images
With ever increasing megapixel cameras being built into smartphones these days, it's very tempting to want to upload beautiful high resolution images to your website - but it comes at a cost. All those high quality images are actually slowing down your website's load time. Studies show that as web load time increases, visitors are much more likely to abandon your site and click through to a competitor. Even in 2018, not everyone has the luxury of high speed broadband. A large percentage of your customers will be viewing your website on their mobile devices while on the go and will limited data plans. Optimising your images for web is the way to go, and many Content Management Systems, such as Joomla and Statamic come with built in optimisation tools.
6. Add Staff Bios
People feel more comfortable knowing they are working with a real person. We love to make personal connections, so having a small section on your website where people can get to know the team can go a long way to forging long lasting business relationships. It can be as simple as a headshot and a their name and position, or depending on the tone of your business you might want to add some quirky facts or a list of their business accomplishments. Either way, introducing your customers to the real people behind the scenes will help built trust and confidence in your brand. Check out our About page for a great example!
7. Reorganise Your Site Map
Perhaps it’s been a few years since you built your current site. As your business grows, naturally you will want to add new products and services to your navigation menu, but in that time have you have shoehorned new pages and sections wherever they fit? Start the new year by evaluating what the main sections of website should be in 2018 and how your existing content could be redistributed under those categories. You should also take this opportunity to give your pages more meaningful and descriptive titles. If a single page from your website showed up on a search result, would the title alone be engaging or descriptive enough to prompt the visitor to click through to your site? Having a well thought out site map and page titles go a long way to improving your search engine ranking, and in turn drive more traffic to your site.
These are just a few quick and easy ways you can improve your customers web experience, but if you'd like more detailed suggestions or perhaps to discuss a complete overhaul, call us for a chat today.
Michael Scruse
Michael brings his technical, web and sales expertise to every project, backed by almost 30 years’ experience in the IT industry.
Michael is also a qualified chef, although cooking is now in a domestic kitchen. Michael is a bit of a history buff and is currently researching his own family history.
