Most of the business owners I meet with are “big picture” men and women. They have to be, because they are constantly busy balancing a dozen different projects and priorities at once.
It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that so many of them will approve a new web design or ask for changes after just a few minutes of review. It’s in their best interest to get the new layout online as quickly as possible, and at a minimum of cost.
Those are good instincts, but I always advise clients to look out for the little things. After all, there are a handful of surprisingly important details that can make your website profitable or destroy your ROI. Here are seven you should keep an eye on…
#1 Your Domain Name
It’s getting harder and harder to find available domain names, but getting the right one is too important to overlook. Ideally, your domain name should be memorable and relevant to the type of business you operate. If not, you’ll have trouble with search engines and customers’ minds.
#2 Your Web Hosting Package
Good web hosting helps your pages to load quickly, and keeps your website safe and secure from hackers. Also, good hosting packages have automatic backups and other features that can be priceless in the event that something goes wrong with your site.
#3 Mobile Compatibility
More than 50% of all Internet users access the web through smart phones and tablets. That means web designs that aren’t mobile friendly put you at a disadvantage with more than half of the buying public. Knowing that, why wouldn’t you do everything you can to make your business accessible to more people?
#4 Quality Images
You may not notice when a website incorporates bad photographs or stock images, but you do get the immediate sense that something is wrong and the business isn’t as credible as it could be. Make sure you are using professional visuals with lots of color and relevance to your company.
#5 Internal Links
Internal links – to go from one page of your website to another – allows searchers to find what they are looking for more easily. They also give you a boost in the search engine rankings, since they make it easier for Google to understand what your web content is all about.
#6 Search and Navigation Features
The same can be said of search and navigation features, which are important from both a structural standpoint and a user experience point of view. The reason you have content on your website in the first place is so customers can find it and read it. Why not make that as simple as possible?
#7 Social Buttons
Good things happen when buyers come to your website and decide to share your content or follow you on their favorite social networks. Make that easy by incorporating buttons for Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms on every page.
If you aren’t getting the results you’d hoped for from your website or online marketing campaigns, it might be that you need to take a closer look at some of the key details. Maybe this is the perfect time to call my office and schedule a complementary website audit so we can see what’s going right with your web presence, and which areas could use some help.