When did you last visit your company’s website? Have you reviewed every word, phone number, email address and link on every page lately? Do you know how many people visit your site each month, which pages are most popular and how long visitors stay on those pages? If, like many organizations, you’ve neglected your website, it’s time to take action.
A website should make a good first impression when people visit. If your site is neglected for long periods of time, potential customers will know that and the perception of your business will go down in their eyes. The importance of a vibrant website cannot be overstated.
Some managers think just because the website is there, that’s enough. But savvy businesses know websites must be updated continually. This helps ensure that information is current and that your site is easily found through search engines, like Google. Most of us are not proficient at search engine optimization (SEO), but there are companies that can help.
Search Engine Optimization
“If you want a top ranking for a specific set of keywords, then site optimization is the important first step in making sure your site is appealing to the search engines,” according to Karl Hauser of Right Place Media. “Other important factors include the number of inbound links from relevant, authoritative websites and social signals, like how many tweets about the site/business? How many shares on Facebook include links to the site?
“Quality, relevant and unique content is the most important factor for top rankings. Other websites want to link to quality content. People will want to share quality content. The phrase content is king rings true now, more than ever.”
Content Ownership
Since content is so important, it’s imperative that yours is in good shape. The first step is to determine who is responsible for the copy on each page of the site. In a small business, that’s probably easy to do. In a larger one, especially with an older site, it might be a challenge.
The trend in larger organizations is for subject specialists to “own” the content on the pages about their departments or areas they oversee. After the owner of each page is determined, then those employees should review their pages. So what are they looking for?
The No. 1 issue is making sure the content is accurate, but it’s also important to look at relevancy. At this point, it’s imperative to take a step back and think about the audience. Who are they? What do they want to know? Are you answering their questions?
Many times, businesses tell people what the business wants customers to know. Instead, a business must put itself in the shoes of the customer and write in a customer-focused way. Tell them the benefits of your products or services and what it means to them. What’s in it for the customer? That’s what they want to know.
Avoid Jargon
It’s easy to get caught up in the language of the particular business that you’re in and use internal jargon and acronyms. But if your audience is external, they won’t understand your internal speak.
Be sure to put yourself in the shoes of the audience and clearly define what you mean.
Another thing to keep in mind is the length of the copy on each page. Statistics show that people read only about 20 percent of what’s on the page. They scan, so make it easy for them to find information by using subheads, bullet points and numbered lists.
Today many people are not searching on desktops or laptops. They are accessing your site on smaller screens, such as tablets and smartphones, so take that into consideration as well.
Here are a few other elements to include in your audit.
• Look for inconsistencies and redundancies.
• Look for places to add video and other media to engage visitors.
• Make sure each page meets branding standards.
• Determine if all links are working.