1. Get your SEO on
Many times clients have come to us with an existing web site and are interested in our Search Engine Optimization package. Really, a site needs to be built with full SEO in mind, regardless of the web designers ability or the clients desire to contract the service from the designing company. If your web designer is not willing to do this as part of the package, keep on looken’.
2. Don’t overuse Graphics
Pictures can really do a website justice. But it can also cause a negative mark in organic searches if you don’t have the right text to picture ratio. A work around is seeing if you can combine multiple pictures into one or going with the less is more look. While this may not hold true for all web sites (For example, an art gallery that posts pictures) you do not have to overwhelm your front page with graphics.
3. Forget the Splash
A Splash page is landing page that has a link to actually enter the site. Ever heard of instant gratification? Not only do splash pages and organic searches not play well together, it can be frustrating for your consumers to wait for the page to load, to click into the site then navigate their way around to find what they are looking for. Don’t waste the 2 click rule on a splash page.
4. Site Maps
Enough Said.
5. Keywords
Keywords, Keywords, Keywords. Your site needs to be developed around keywords. You do not develop your keywords around your site.
6. URL age
Web sites come and go. And url’s get changed like underwear. OK, not quite that often but often enough that Google’s new Panda algorithm actually gives you plus or minus points. If you’re purchasing a new domain name, buy it for 5 years. That shows Google you’re serious and you’re sticking around for the long haul.
7. Usability
Your web site is not a pretty toy for you to play with. It is there to make you money or share the information you put on there TO SOMEONE ELSE. I can not stress this enough. Don’t build your website for you, build it for your consumers.
8. Know your consumers
Who is your target audience? Who purchases your products, reads your articles? Do a bit of research and find out. Did you know that women over the age of 30 put a high amount of validity in social media comments for a product or service? If your product or service involves woman, get your Social Media game on and get it embedded into your web site. Get your clients to post rave reviews on your page. That process is however, another topic for another day.
9. Create consumer friendly content
Your web designer may be the smartest person on the planet and one heck of a copy writer, but it won’t do you a lick of good if he gives you content that is rated College level when your main geographical area may only have some high school. This goes back to knowing your consumer, and I mean really knowing them.
10. TagLine
Well this seems appropriate right? TagLine Media Group is all about the TagLine. You have someone’s attention for approximately 3 seconds before they decide to move in or move on. Don’t lose them before you can get your message out, create a TagLine that is unique, catchy and gives someone the desire to know more about your products or services. Forget the old adage, curiosity killed the cat here… and think… curiosity catches the consumer!