Common Web Development Mistakes are Costing Companies Revenue

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Bob Sanderson

Many businesses over the last few years have taken to the web in the hopes of capturing new markets and not getting left behind as society is depending more and more on all things digital.

But simply having a website is no longer enough to secure customers online, as many businesses are finding they their website is falling victim to more efficient and appealing web designs which are better search engine optimised and more user friendly.

The most common mistake people are making is having a far too complicated website design. With more and more people of all ages and technology knowledge levels joining the masses online

And with attention spans more than halved when it comes to online activities, websites need to be simpler and easier to navigate to prevent them losing customer to better prepared competitors.

Another common complaint among internet users is compatibility. With mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets being a part of everyday life for many people in the age of digital.

It begs the question why so many websites are still using non-compatible web designs. Many business owners think the website they created years ago will stand up in today’s changing market

But the reality is websites need to be updated and adapted regularly to the advancement of technology and the evolution of the markets to ensure they continue to be a useful strategy for the company.

Many companies believe that having their website look and function in exactly the same way as their successful competitors is the key to retaining old and attracting new customers.

But the reality is that, although looking into what works well for your competitors is a good way to research your market’s needs, your website needs to be unique in its own right if you want to attract attention of new potential customers.

Ask your web developers to take a look at your competitor’s website and highlight what you like about it, and then allow them to create a design unique to your brand’s own message and personality while incorporating the aspects that worked well.

A fatal mistake make by businesses is assuming that once a website is made then people will come to it without any prompt.

There are billions of websites out there and search engines return results of thousands if not millions of website links for searches, so don’t just assume that people will find yours.

Talk to your web development company about how search engine optimised your website is, and what can be done to make it more SEO friendly. This will help your website to be found, if used in conjunction with other internet marketing tactics.

How a user friendly website generates more business?

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Bob Sanderson

It is far from difficult to create a user friendly website, and the benefits in doing so for your business are endless.

Stuck for what a user friendly site should be like? Just consider some of the sites you enjoy using, and then consider some that you don’t enjoy so much. The reason you enjoy using the first sites is because they are far more user friendly than the latter.

Obviously you are more likely to spend time using the sites you feel comfortable with and enjoy navigating, and you want your potential customers to get the same feeling from your site.

What makes a user-friendly website?

Simplicity is the key: For your site to have a user friendly web design, everything should be nicely spaced, not too busy, and simple to find your way around.

Don’t Overdo It With Graphics: Your site should tantalise the eyes with SOME graphics rather than being a full on assault of Flash and other forms of web graphics cluttering every inch of the page and that draw attention away from the main purpose of the site.

Easy To Navigate: If people can find exactly what they are looking for in a minimum number of clicks then your site is easy to navigate, and this will please users.

The most valuable navigation tool is the search box, as it allows people to go directly to what they want, or the area in which they are likely to find what they want. If however you have off putting extras such as ‘doorway’ pages, things become far less simple and it puts people off.

Allow Movement Back and Forth: There is nothing worse than realising you clicked the wrong thing and has to go right back to the start. Offer users a way to go back to where they previously were in a convenient fashion.

‘Breadcrumb trails’ are popular as they show users where they are and have been, and can easily take steps back, e.g. Home > SEO > Why choose us as your SEO Company?

Structure: Ensuring the most popular or attention grabbing site content is available at first glance, such as best sellers or current offers, will lead to more sales.

Having basic information about your company and contact information in a prominent place on your homepage is reassuring to browsers in an age where internet scams are everywhere.

Testing, 1,2, Testing: Ensure you test your website for functionality and appearance on all popular browsers and devices. Does you website work on Internet Explorer, Safari and Chrome?

Is you site mobile and tablet friendly? All these things must be tested regularly as devices and internet browsers are constantly updating and changing.

Keep Up To Date: People don’t want to see out of date information and offers on your site, so make sure you are regularly giving your site a spring clean to ensure its kept fresh and up to the minute.

Not only will this help keep customers happy, but it keeps your web design search engine friendly.

Be Clear: Be clear about costs, whether they include VAT, how much delivery will cost, any all other relevant information regarding your products and services.

Also be clear on policies such as shipping, returns and refunds, etc. If information is ambiguous and unclear then people will instantly be put off.

Design to Impress: When having a company site made, it needs to look 110% professional, and so it is advisable to call in some web design experts.

Give them a briefing on your target audience and brand, and they will be able to provide you with a professional design that is aimed to attract and impress your target customers and let your brand shine through in all areas.

Why an SEO friendly website is a must have for businesses in 2016

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Bob Sanderson

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a method of analysis and constructing your website page by page so that it can be easily catalogued by the search bots of major search engines such as Google or Bing.

To be able to create a search engine friendly website you must know a lot not only about web design but also about how search engines work, what they look for and how they carefully select the pages that reach the top of their search results.

So why SEO friendly web design is a must this year? Here are just a few of the many reasons why it would greatly benefit your business:

Improved Brand Awareness

This is probably the most obvious benefit of SEO, as the higher up your website ranks on search engines, the more people will see and are likely to click on your company’s website link.

The meta descriptions used to help search bots pick up on what your site’s purpose is are also useful when it comes to the person searching determining if a link or company is going to be useful to them or not, so ensuring you have a brief and clear description of your company’s main purpose in the meta description plays a big part in improving brand awareness.

Increased Traffic and Online Sales

Naturally you want to increase your company’s sales by any means possible. Therefore driving traffic to your website is the first step to increasing sales, and the best way to drive traffic is through higher search engine rankings.

As mentioned in relation brand awareness, the higher your website is ranking on search engines, the more footfall you will have on your website.

Once you have this increased footfall, you then need to ensure you’re website is optimised for the process of converting visitors into customers. Which brings us to the next benefit…

User friendly and SEO friendly Go Hand In Hand

A cluttered, graphic heavy and hard to navigate site will not only put potential customers off, it will also deter search engine bots scouring your site for useful information.

If you have very little quality text, or if its hidden under far too many graphics and too much Flash, the search bots won’t find much of use and will move on to another site.

Your site needs to be well structured, uncluttered and full of quality SEO and user friendly information and content. There is nothing wrong with images and graphics, a site with none would be boring. But there can be too much of a good thing.

If In Doubt, Ask For Help

The best way to ensure you have an SEO friendly website design is to enlist the help of some experts. Web designers who specialise in business web design will look into your brand and your target audiences, and pair this information with what the search engines want to create an SEO friendly web design that shows your brand’s personality and is both search engine and user friendly.