The 5 Things You Must Do At Any Cost

In this day and age, it is practically a requirement to optimize your website as much as possible so that it can do well on the internet and serving your clients or patients.

Your website must have content that serves your niche, but it will not do well if you do not prepare it or optimize it for the web and your audience.

We’ll go over 5 things to optimize your website and advice for implementing the tips into your own site.

1) GET CLEAR ON YOUR HTML

Optimizing your HTML should be the first step in optimizing your website overall. You’ve got to use code that will make your website more descriptive and will even help search engines and users find your site more easily. You can cover both of these bases by using META tags. These are simple tags that are placed in between the HEAD tags in your HTML document to list the description of your website and provide relative keywords for your site. Additionally, you should also be using TITLE tags, HEADING tags, and other tools such as CSS to make your site easier to manage and more smooth running. Of couse, don’t forget to describe images and links as well. Make sure that your pages load fast, and that they show up correctly in different browsers. You can use Google Page Speed and BrowserShots for this. Talk to your webmaster if you are new to HTML – but learn more about it at HTML school.

2) LEARN THE BASICS OF SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION)

SEO is another big part of optimizing your website. It simply stands for “search engine optimization” and it is a huge part of getting your site noticed and high on search engine results. Using SEO on your site, and with partner links offsite, you will target certain keywords that have low competition from other web sites but high demand from people who use search engines, and within your market. For example, a keyword like “dentist” is too vague, “santa monica dentist” is better, but “santa monica family dentist”, or “santa monica cosmetic dentist” will improve your chances to be found, if done right. Your web analytics will also help you with figuring out what keyword phrases might work for you. There are other components to SEO, but it is imperative that you use it to optimize your site.

3) LEVERAGE YOUR KNOWLEDGE & CONTENT

Content is a big deal if you wish to optimize your site. Your content must be seen by readers and the actual search engine as valuable and related information for it to perform well at all. Recycled content that can be found on any other site of the same subject normally won’t do well. Remember, you want your site to offer something to the web that it doesn’t already have. Stay focused on your clients, and do some research in your market to find out what they will need. If you can find “gaps” in the information, you can move ahead very quickly. Don’t be like everybody else, and try including video content as well. You have a YouTube account, right?

4) ARCHITECTURE & LAYOUT

Your choice of layout for your website is critical for optimization and user friendliness. This refers to the type of navigation you use, how quickly your readers can find a piece of information that they’re looking for on your website, how information is displayed/presented and so much more. It’s important that your layout works for your site because it will keep readers coming back for more. You can use your existing web analytics to find click patterns, and find out where they navigate to, and where they abort. A bounce-rate study may help you as well. Check out others in your space that are ranking high (both in organic and paid) – and find out what’s working. It’s OK to get ideas, but don’t blatantly copy.

5) WHAT TO DO NEXT – “CALL TO ACTION”

Having a call to action is simply wanting your readers to respond to what you’ve given them. You want them to act. For example, if your site is advertising a product, you might have a link at the top waiting for them at all times that reads, “Buy Now.” This is a call to action. It’s important to have a call to action on your site that is constantly visible. Calls to action are imperative because they are much more persuasive than allowing the reader to make the choice for themselves. A great way to find out what the action is on any page on your website is this: “What is the ‘most-desired-action’ I want my visitor to take on THIS page”?  Then, answer that… and provide it. And, don’t assume the visitor will know. Make it simple.

You may find some of these to be basic, but we see these issues all the time…And, you must address these points.

Where does your current webpage rank? Are you passing the keyword analysis test?

Five Reasons Why Your Website Needs A Poll

It’s a well-known fact that people love to share their opinions with others, whether in response to a question, an issue, or to the opinions of someone else. If you’ve never experimented with adding polls to your website or blog before, here are five reasons why you should give it a try:

1. Polls Are Easy: Sites like PollDaddy.Com allow you to create an account and customize and upload interactive polls to your site for free.
2. Polls Let You Know What’s Important: The topics and opinions that the visitors to your site comment on and vote on the most provide you with instant insight into the types of products, topics, and information that might appeal to them in the future.
3. Polls Encourage Repeat Visits: After someone votes, they will want to check back in to see whether others voted the same way that they did, and to see if there are any other polls for them to vote in.
4. Polls Help With Site Design: Polls are eye catching and add a professional look and feel to a site.
5. Polls Are Fun: This goes without saying—who can resist a poll?

Try adding a poll to your website or blog today and see for yourself.