Whether you are looking to generate leads, sales, revenue, or all of the above for your business, a website is an essential digital marketing tool that can help you achieve your goals. If you have a website, you are one step closer to building an online presence. However, not all websites are created equal. The quality of your website’s design and functionality matters. In fact, an outdated, poorly implemented website can be more damaging to your business than you think.
Consider this: about 87% of Americans use the Internet, that is, about 276,600,000 people and counting. Your website is often the first impression many prospective customers have of your business. If your website is subpar at best, what message is it sending to your customers?
The WSI team has seen and evaluated thousands of websites, both good and bad. Some websites only need a few touch ups, while others need a complete design overhaul. We compiled a list of ten factors that will help you determine if you need a new website.
While websites are created for a variety of reasons, the majority of business owners commission websites with the expectation of lead generation. In other words, if your website is not converting traffic into business in some way, then it is not fulfilling its obligations.
Tip: Test your website forms. You won’t receive any customer inquiries if your forms do not work.
A bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who come to your website and leave without viewing any other pages. If web analytics are indicating that your website is not retaining its visitors, this may be a sign that your visitors do not find your current website useful enough. Of course, there are exceptions, for instance, visitors may visit your site page to locate your phone number/address or to fill out a form. Others may have accidentally landed on your site while looking for a different site.
On the whole, however, Google typically favors a low bounce rate. And if your website analytics show a high bounce rate, low time on site, and low average pages per visit, your website probably has issues.
Tip: Check to make sure that you correctly implemented Google’s tracking code to all your website pages.
Newly built websites excluded, if your website is not getting any traffic, you need to make some changes. Google will penalize websites that violate its guidelines, so make sure that your website is abiding by Google’s rules. If your website has experienced a drop-off in traffic, it could be due to neglect – when was the last time you added a blog post or site page? Search engines give much more authority to websites that are updated frequently. Consistently adding fresh content that is relevant to your industry and your customers is vital.
Tip: Monitor your website for hacked content. If your website is insecure, hackers could inject malicious code. Google protects website users by labeling hacked sites as compromised.
According to Search Engine Journal, 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. A lack of site traffic may be due to the fact that no one can find your website in Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Because search engine algorithms change frequently and continually, your website must be able to keep up. Today, Google favors websites with original, high-quality content – keyword stuffing is a thing of the past. Your website should be designed with today’s SEO in mind. If not, it will be left behind.
Tip: Track your website’s search performance with Search Console, which will help you to monitor and maintain your site’s presence in Google Search results.
https://www.wsisimplyroi.com/the-growing-importance-of-mobile-optimization-and-how-it-affects-your-website/ Now that mobile-friendliness has become a Google ranking factor for websites, having a mobile-friendly website should become a priority. Millions of people are using their mobile phone to browse the web, and even make purchases. No matter what industry your business operates in, you need to have a responsive website that will adapt to any screen size and device. If your mobile website is frustrating to use, you will lose potential customers. On the other hand, according to Econsultancy, 62% of companies that designed a website with mobile in mind saw increased sales.
Tip: If your website is Flash based, we suggest that you replace your site as soon as possible. Not only do Flash-based websites require users to install a plugin to view it, but Flash is not compatible on most mobile devices. Flash-based websites are also bad for search engine optimization, for a number of reasons.
If your website is experiencing any of the issues we mentioned above, contact WSI at (610)650-0227 to see how we can help. We utilize our Internet marketing expertise to make sure that our customers’ websites are user friendly, well-designed, and optimized for search engines. Think of your website as an investment for increased success of your business. Check our blog next week for the second part of this post with five more signs that you need a new website.
VIEWS Digital Marketing Agency works with businesses and organizations to build brand loyalty, engage with customers and increase sales. We develop a digital marketing strategy and implement a customized mix of tactics such as Inbound Marketing Automation, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Paid Advertising, Content Creation, Conversion Optimization, and Mobile Marketing to generate and nurture leads. Call today to get a VIEW of your future!
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