Dos and Don’ts to Know Before Creating Your Website
Your website is your own personal golden piece of real estate on the World Wide Web. It is precious and should be treated as such.
Just how important is your web presence? As we’re watching the demise of print media marketing, your web presence is one of the few forms of marketing that has gained in value exponentially. You and your product are judged by that very digital real estate — your website. So what can you do to make it work for you?
Only a Few Seconds to Grab Their Attention
As a business owner, you want to wow your potential customers with everything great about you and your company. But you only have a few short seconds to capture the attention of a potential customer. Yes, seconds. In fact, according to the Nielsen Norman Group, the typical viewer will leave a website within 10 to 20 seconds. This is when you want your presence to be clean, inviting and concise.
Your Landing Page
Keep it short and sweet. Your landing page is not the place to highlight every single thing that makes your company awesome. Let your other pages do that. Your landing page needs to be uncomplicated, yet informative. It is your first impression. Make it count.
- Keep sentences and paragraphs short.
- Make use of bullets.
- Make your logo memorable but not messy.
You will want to answer some key questions immediately:
- Who you are
- What you do
- What sets you apart from your competition
- How can your customer find you
Keep Your Format Simple and Consistent
Keep it simple and clean. The look and feel of your website design should remain consistent throughout each page. Keep each block of text short giving the most important pieces of information visual weight.
Make It Easy To Navigate
Keep your menu simple and understandable for your user. Keep in mind the 3-click rule: anyone navigating your website should be within 3 clicks from finding exactly what they need.
Integrate Video
In today’s landscape, incorporating video is important. How about a super short video telling your customers about how great you are? How about a short client testimonial? A well-done video will engage a broader spectrum of people.
Use SEO Tactics Immediately
Start thinking about SEO immediately. The web is a big place and you need to keep mindful of what separates the first-pagers from the ones drowning in the deep end. Incorporate essential SEO from the very beginning because it may take time to get to the top. Make sure you know your keywords and keep them as specific as possible. A broad keyword is easily lost at sea.
Consistent Information
Make sure your company information is consistent over all different platforms, even as far as spelling, abbreviations and punctuation. Anywhere your information shows online, it should show the exact same address, phone number, hours of operation and even photos.
Social Media
Make sure your social media sites are linked to your website and keep them updated regularly. If people go to a social media site and the last posts are months old, they will wonder if you are even still in business. Don’t underestimate the power of your social media presence.
Mobile Friendly
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. According to SearchEngineLand, nearly 60 percent of searches are done with a mobile device.
Incorporate a Blog
How do you prove your expertise? With a blog, of course. And Google loves fresh, original web content. Keep your posts centered around a certain aspect of your business or product, interject keywords organically and update every week. Never copy content from another source verbatim unless done to support your information. Cite these other sources.
Better Yet….
You’re busy. And this marketing stuff takes time. Why not hire someone who knows the ins and outs of internet marketing? Call 888-731-0234 to see how Rocket Marketing and Design can help.
