Are you unhappy with your website? Is it not doing what you want? Whether you’re a business missing out on sales or an individual struggling to showcase your skills to the world, getting this right can be a frustrating process.
Here are ten common things that people can do to make a difference to their site and get things back on track:
Security
Does it worry you that cybercriminals could easily breach your defenses? It probably should. Hackers are said to have targeted about half of the 28 million small businesses in the US last year alone. Make sure you update your anti-virus package or, if yours isn’t great, upgrade it to protect your website and the data it holds.
Design
Do you look around at other people’s web pages and feel that they look fresher and more modern? Things move quickly online, that design you had made up in 2014 could look very old-fashioned now. Play around with a new template, it might be all you need for a new lease of life. Shop around for a bespoke service if you want something that free templates can’t offer.
User experience
Are people often moaning about your website? Maybe it’s hard to find your contact us page or difficult to return to the homepage. Ask someone you trust to give you an honest view of what is most irritating about visiting your page.
Cost
Does your website cost too much to keep going? If it’s a drain on your finances, consider altering your hosting package – you might be paying for performance levels that you don’t require. Virtual servers allow you to pick a package that is best suited to your circumstances, spend some time researching what you really need.
Downtime
Speaking of performance, is your site often down? This is especially concerning if you are a business, as it could cost you vital sales. Challenge your hosting provider to get to the bottom of the problem or shop around for a better package that can eliminate these issues.
Traffic
Are you just not getting enough traffic? Maybe it’s time to up the ante. Get blogging on a more regular basis and try to build a hub of content that can attract and engage new readers. Promote your content on social media and develop a strategy that includes a calendar of content that works well for your audience.
Scope
Do you wish your site did more than just tell customers where you are on the map? Maybe it’s time to upgrade and add e-commerce functionality? If you start selling online, you can open a new source of revenue that can breathe life into your whole business.
Mobile
Look around you and you’ll undoubtedly see someone glued to their smartphone. We’re all addicted to our devices and, increasingly, this is how we access material online. If your site isn’t responsive, then you’re risking putting off anyone looking on their phone and that isn’t a bright idea.
Images
Is your site stuffed full of stock images? It probably stands out like a sore thumb. Pay for access to a proper image library to liven up your site or, better still, enlist the services of a skilled photographer and build up your own bank of bespoke imagery.
SEO
Who are you targeting with your website? What keywords are they searching most often? If you know the answer to this second question, are you doing enough with your content to capture those searches? If you’re smart, you can target key search terms and improve your Google ranking which will, in turn, attract more traffic and trade.
It’s likely every person who has a website will need to sort at least one of those ten factors. Which will you tackle first?
