Unhappy with the effectiveness of your website?
Be honest, is your website looking a little dated. Did you go through the flow chart and find yourself here? Here’s a random selection from our quality website checklist. Some of them may seem tiny issues but add them all together for a significant edge to your website.
1. Responsiveness
Websites are now most commonly viewed on Smart Phones and Tablets. Are you aware that Google announced back in 2015 that Google will Penalize Non-Mobile Sites?
According to the announcement, Google said:
“Starting April 21, 2015 we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”
SEO Impact for Non-Mobile Friendly or Non-Responsive Websites?
The message is clear, if your current website isn’t mobile friendly, Google prefers responsive websites, it will start to drop in Google’s mobile search results. So pay attention to your search engine results pages (SERPs) and your site volume, and more importantly, put together a plan to upgrade your website to a responsive site.
2. Navigation
Menu navigation exists to help us find content and it should be simple and intuitive.
When looking at a website, our expectation is to navigate with ease and have a great experience but unfortunately, not every site is designed as well as it should be.
Designing a solid navigation system is without question one of the most important aspects of designing a website.
3. Fast Loading
No one wants to wait (and wait and wait) for your site to load. Design sites with prompt loading times for all users on all devices.
4. Tracking Enabled
Analytics matter – it’s the best way to determine that your website is actually doing its job. The final design should include functionality to gauge key indicators such as traffic, goals, and conversions.
5. SEO Savvy
Don’t underestimate the power of optimizing your site for both browsers and humans. Develop compelling, readable content for your followers. For the search engines, always include all important on-page SEO tags and elements, including schema and XML sitemaps.
6. Enabled CMS
We aren’t quite done with the power of the written word just yet. Consistently publishing fresh, original content not only captivates your audience, it can deliver invaluable, long-term digital marketing momentum. Include a back-end Content Management System in the design so clients can post and edit content as needed.
7. Email Marketing
Yes, email marketing is still a thing – and a highly effective thing at that. A site’s email capture forms should sync with the client’s email marketing system for seamless access and connection.
8. Social Media
Never miss an opportunity to leverage the power of social media. Integrate all relevant social media platforms within your design. Allowing users to quickly access social media pages from the website instantly broadens a brand’s reach and helps increase visibility and traffic.
9. Strong Security
Never compromise on-site security. Every design should include fundamental security and privacy protocols, such as basic security checks, to protect client and user data.
10. Progressive Web Apps
Savvy web designers, intrigued by the impact apps have on mobile media platforms, have successfully blended the very best web and app features into a hybrid known as Progressive Web Apps. Expect to see Progressive Web Apps out in full force throughout 2018.
Is Your Brand’s Website Up To 2018 Standards? If not, it’s time for an immediate online renovation. Remember, it’s not about grand gestures and overhauls. Rather, 2018 will focus on a shift towards simple, functional, and futuristic designs. Implementing these (relatively painless) standards as a non-negotiable design baseline can have a significant impact on the way we do business and connect with potential customers online for optimal ROI with every user engagement.