4 MUST HAVE tips if you're doing DIY website design (particularly on the WiX platform), but also important regardless of the platform, and even if someone else designed your site for you.
Images
If your site is slow to load it may be because your image files are too large. Keep them at a maximum of 300-400KB.
Make sure you have good keyword descriptions on your images. Google trawls all content, including images, and you can be penalised if they do not have proper descriptions. People with visual impairments rely on these descriptions that Google will read out to them so they know what they are ‘looking’ at. This applies to logos as well.
SEO/Page Descriptions
Make sure you have good keywords in your written content and blog posts. As well as in the backend of your site. A site without backend SEO is just a pretty picture, it’s not a fully functioning website without it. I’ve come across many sites where there is no backend info, even when the site was created by a designer! So, if you have someone else creating your site for you, make sure you see for yourself that the SEO and Page Descriptions are in the backend, otherwise you are just wasting your money.
Ensure the area you live/work is part of your keyword content. You need to narrow down the area as much as possible to be competitive in Google searches. For example, you may cover the Bay of Plenty area, or the Auckland area, or even the whole of New Zealand but so will thousands of others in your field. Get specific right down to your suburb because people will generally look for businesses close by.
Make sure your tag line is keyword rich. For example, my business is Wanderlust Design but if I just left it as that name, it could mean anything. People may think I’m an interior designer or do graphic design, so my tag line makes it clear: Wanderlust Design - Bespoke websites with soul. People know straight away I create unique, one-of-a-kind websites, and using the word soul will appeal to my target clients (those in alternative-type personal development industries).
Mobile Optimized
If you have a WiX website, the mobile edit is a separate edit to the desktop so if you are doing this yourself make sure you check the mobile version. If your site is being made by someone else or is on another platform, double check is looks ok on mobile and smaller devices. This is critical, as 60-70% of website views are done on mobile these days. If it looks rubbish, your business will suffer.
Get found!
Congratulations, you’ve got a website! However, that doesn’t mean anything unless you help drive traffic to it. Just because it’s live and ‘out there’ doesn’t mean anyone can find you. Here are some things that will help:
- As mentioned above – your content and backend need to be keyword rich
- Make sure your site is connected to Google Search Console
- Make sure you have a Google My Business page and link your site to that. Also, get lots of client reviews by sending them your GMB review link. This will help you rank higher in Google searches
- Drive people to your site – through your social media posts, having your website on all printed material (business cards, flyers) etc.
Not sure you have all bases covered? I offer Website Audits to check these vital areas for you. Contact me to find out more.