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Three Tips To Improve Your Website

By March 22, 2013 Suggestions, Website Design

As a St. Louis Search Engine Optimization Company, part of the initial phase of optimization is an evaluation of a client’s website. There are many common issues we notice among small business websites, all of which are relatively easy to fix. Making these corrections can assist your SEO efforts as well as improve conversion rates on your site. 

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1. Content

Perhaps the most common issue we discover is lack of original content on a site. Often a business will have a brief sentence or two telling a prospective client to call for more information. This is a problem for multiple reasons.

  1. Customers are interested in immediate answers to their questions. They want the information they searched for without going through other channels, sitting on hold, or waiting for a response. 
  2. Competitors have the information on their sites. Not only does this increase the likelihood that the customers will convert, it also builds their confidence in the businesses’ knowledge about their particular industry.
  3. One of the elements Google consideres when determining rankings is the availability of relevant content on a site. This can include everything from content on the home page to weekly blog posts. The more relevant content is available, the more Google will consider that site to be an authority for a given subject or keyword.

So, how can you fix this problem? Start writing! If you’re unsure what potential customers are looking for check out your competitors’ sites and see what they’re talking about. It’s ok to touch on the same subjects, just don’t copy and paste their content onto your site. That’s plagiarism (or duplicate content in Google’s terms) and Google can punish you just like your teachers in school if they find out you’ve copied someone else’s work. Start with the questions that you’re most often asked by customers and provide the answers that you would give if you were speaking face-to-face. You’re the expert about your business, so don’t hesitate to share your knowledge!

2. Structure

Site structure is another common issue for many clients. A potential customer wants the information they’re looking for, without having to search for it on your site. If the path to the information isn’t immediately clear, the customer won’t take the time to search for it on your site, they’ll spend their time searching somewhere else. Your site structure should be simple and easy to navigate.

Start with the basics: an “About” tab and a “Contact Us” page should be standard for most websites. From there, additional tabs and menus will vary based on your business. A basic directory of products or services, an FAQ, and a blog are solid basic starting points. If you’re unsure how your site should be organized, take a few of the common queries your website receives and determine whether your customers could find that information within one to two clicks of the home page. Remember, if the path to the information is not immediately clear, your potential customers will hit the back button and search elsewhere.

3. Call To Action

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Your website should have a clear call to action to direct customers to the appropriate point of contact. Believe it or not, many websites neglect to include a clear direction on the home page. The home page is the most common landing age for potential customers, and they may be turned off if they have to search for the contact page before they can connect with you. If you prefer phone calls, the number should be prominently displayed. If your goal is a form it should be readily available on the home page, or connected through a clearly visible link or button.

Taking the time to make these three simple changes can improve your SEO and conversion rates. What are some website changes you recommend to small businesses for Search Engine Optimization?

 

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