Things that you can do today to improve your website

If you’re an owner of a small business then your website is likely to be at the bottom of a long to-do list. In many cases, it was quickly created and then forgotten. The time and effort spent on it are just wasted.

There are a few things that you can do to quickly give your website a boost and to get it to do what it was designed to in the first place; bring customers to your business.
Rather than starting from scratch (see my last point), here are some quick fixes that may go some way towards improving your existing website.

1. Images

Websites are all about first impressions. Make the images on your website speak to your website visitors. Unless youre an expert photographer, dont try to use your own images but find something on sites like 123rf.com or istockphoto.com or the like. (Dont copy from someone elses website). I also see many websites with too many and badly formatted images. That often destroys the layout of the original design. Remove or replace those images.

2. Words and blogs

The right words make your site rank high on search engines, draw your site visitors in and ensure that your site visitors understand what your business is about. Just like you would use professional imagery on your website, you should also use a professional to write your content.

If you ask someone else to write your web content then give them good guidance because theyre unlikely to be as familiar with your business as you are. Make it easy for them by providing them with detailed information and the search terms that prospective customers would use.

The more useful written information you can create, the better for your business profile and also for your online profile, but at the same time remember that white space is important, so keep your text between 300 to 500 words per page.

3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

You want your website found in search listings. If you’re in the first few listings, youre doing well, but if your website was created a while back then its likely that the way it was created does not make it rank well on search engines. Get an SEO refresh from your website developer to make sure that it’s up-to-date. If you’re more serious about SEO then work with an SEO specialist.

4. Links

To improve your search ranking, the more links you have pointing to your website, the better. If you belong to industry associations, make sure that your business is listed, with a link back to your website.
Also add your business to free listing pages like Yellow.co.nz, nzsearch.co.nz, and other free listing agencies.

5. Social Media

If nothing else then social media creates links to your website. Make sure that you have a business page on Facebook and consider services like Twitter and definitely have an entry on LinkedIn. Naturally, every time you create written information, make sure it’s mentioned on all social media platforms.

6. A brand new website

OK, that probably goes beyond a quick fix, but sometimes the old website is just too tired and it just may be beyond repair. Besides, creating a new website may actually do more than you might imagine and the process involved in creating a new site can have powerful benefits for any business.

When you plan your new website, you have to view your business from the perspective of a potential customer, create compelling collateral to attract and convince them to purchase. That process will also benefit your sales and marketing department.