Grab a cup of coffee and improve your website in 60 minutes
Looking to make a few changes to your website and uplevel your online presence but not sure where to begin? Check out these 7 tips to improve your website in 60 minutes or less!
1. Eliminate the squish above the fold
I am of course talking about the desire to "squish" everything you believe is important above the fold so your potential customers won't have any questions about how you can help them.
This is information overload and way to overwhelming. Plus, the purpose of your website is attract new customers which is why you want to get to the point and put what they believe is important above the fold.
What is most important to your potential customers?
- What you can do for them
- How to contact you and get started
2. Do you have simple, easy action steps
The whole purpose of a website is to get your dream customers to hire you. So make that easy by offering a simple and easy action step that helps them get started right away. We are talking a nice lovely big button that stands out and says, "CLICK ME!!!!" (figuratively speaking of course.)
This button could be getting them to schedule a discovery call or maybe taking advantage of a freebie you offer that will have them reaching out to work with you. Whatever it is make sure it is simple, easy and drives your dream customers directly to you.
3. Ensure contact information is no more than one click away
I cannot tell you how many times I have had to dig to find contact information on a website. And I will be honest with you my friend, I only dug for it because it was my job to dig as I was doing a website audit.
Most people will not spend that much time digging to figure out how to contact you. So if you do not make it easy for them to reach out and get started instantly when they land on your website you are probably losing business.
So create a contact page and add it to your main menu, and make sure your main call to action buttons. You can also add contact information to the header and/or footer to make getting in touch with you easy from every page of your website.
4. Implement a little security
The time it takes to make sure your website is secure is small and will go a long way. Here are two things you can do in minutes, and they only have to be done once
- Install an SSL certificate. This is ensuring that your website has an https address giving your visitors a safe connection to you, and boosting your SEO visibility. It is also provided for free from most hosting companies, so it costs you nothing but time.
- Enforce the SSL connection. This is a redirection that ensures anyone going to your site always lands on the secured safe website address. Again, an extra step to protect your website visitors that is just the nice thing to do.
Some hosting companies, like Squarespace, do both of these automatically for you, but it is worth the time to make sure. Check with your hosting company to see how these two steps can be completed. And trust me when I tell you they are easy steps to take.
One last security tip for my WordPress users out there...
Give your website a little love each week by installing plug-in, theme and WordPress updates. This will ensure your website stays safe, secure and functioning beautifully.
5. Create clear titles and descriptions for each page
We live in a distracted, always connect chaotic world. Just think about your time surfing for information on the internet? Are you in a calm quiet location with nothing to do but focus on your search for information?
Probably not.
If you are anything like me you are curled up on the couch with a dog or two (or three) at your feet, trying to find something while your husband is asking you questions and Criminal Minds is playing on Netflix.
With so many distractions around us on a regular basis, it is no wonder we miss the point of what someone is try to share on their website sometimes. Especially when they are trying to be clever without focusing on clarity.
So do yourself a favor and look through the pages of your website. Especially the main pages that are visited frequently. Ask yourself...
- Is the purpose of this page clear instantly? (5 seconds or less)
- Am I using regular every day language, rather than industry terms that could cause confusion?
- Could a 5th grader read this and understand what it means?
If you cannot say a definitive YES to all of the above then it is time to do a little tweaking and rewriting! And yes, I understand that correct industry terminology is important, but that is something you can focus on later. Like after they hire you and you are educating them in more detail about what you do and how your process works.
6. Add alt text to your images
Adding an alt tag or the alt text to your website images can be done in seconds, and the benefits are big.
First benefit, I have to mention is one that many don't think about. Helping the visually impaired people who come to your website. The Alt text allows screen readers to read information about images out loud to users who are blind or visually impaired. So big ADA win there.
It also supports your onsite SEO giving your website enhanced visibility, so another big win for you. And again it can literally be done in seconds!
Just add a quick title/description for each image on your website in the field available and you are done.
WordPress
Squarespace
7. Create a Google My Business Listing
This is one of those steps that intimidates a lot of people, and keeps them from enhancing their website and business visibility online in a really big way.
Google My Business gives your dream customers quick and easy access to your
- Hours of Operation
- Contact information
- Service Location
- Business address (only if you want to share it!)
- Website
Take a look at the online real estate you can have for free...
And did you notice the reviews at the bottom? That is because Google My Business allows your customers to write reviews that everyone can see, helping your business that much more.
Click here to create your Google My Business listing.
Ready to get started?
There you have my top 7 tips to improve your website in 60 minutes. And while I understand that some of these seem silly or unnecessary, and some may even seem a little intimidating I promise you they are all easy and super beneficial to your website visibility!
And if you are needing a little extra help don't be afraid to ask! In fact, you can sign up right now for your free Mini Website Audit, packed with valuable information to help you improve your website over your next cup of coffee!