On Website Priorities
While there are several powerful marketing & advertising channels online (i.e. search engines, social networks, email marketing, etc.), consumers will always prioritize information about the business, its products, and services. Everything else should be valued as a means for driving them inbound to a website with useful content! For those with a ‘long term marketing view’, here are the most important website priorities to consider.
The Important Website Priorities For A Serious Business:
- OWNERSHIP/CONTROL: Own your website and its URL! We should always have the option to move from host to host, at will! If not, accept the risk of losing the investment of time, money and web footprint. Most free and low-cost providers offer solutions that prioritize their own business interests. No one likes being trapped and no one should accept the possibility of having to start all over again. Why accept anything but ownership? (See: Why A Business Should Use WordPress?)
- CONTENT: We cannot emphasize investment in content enough, a website is worthless without it! Pages must have a depth of information for each subject relevant to the business. Sooner or later buyers will need useful information on products and services. Above all, search engines wish to rank pages based upon their subject-specific usefulness to people!
- MOBILE: Accept that visitors arrive on small mobile devices! Be mobile-friendly to visitors on phones, tablets and PCs alike. Not only is it best for consumers, but search engines prioritize it. If you are not mobile-friendly, assume Google does NOT want to recommend you in its search results.
- HOST & MANAGE: Chose a host platform that serves fast loading pages or run the risk of disappointing people and search engines! The Internet, browsers, devices and, unfortunately, hacks all advance; your website software must pace that advance! Most website solutions lag this reality, so be out front of the curve. Be hardened against hack and be certain your website software is updated & managed!
- SEO: It is common for a business owner to say, “the website is just there for existing clients.” We would argue that everyone searches, but without search engine optimization there’s no chance of being there when they do. Assume that without SEO your brand is invisible online. Pages are ranked for their content: visibility in search results begins with the on-page mechanics of content! A website should forever grow a web footprint of search-indexed pages, inbound- links, likes and, shares from all over the web. All of these signals may send someone somewhere sometime to our pages! They also serve as the off-website signals search engines use to rank.
- DESIGN: For visitors, what your brand looks like matters. The website is an immediate replacement for window shopping. Design can’t be one dimensional; it must accept a stack of priorities including website theme, mobile- responsive, security, lead capture and, various other apps or functions. There’s got to be cooperation, aesthetic should never undermine web requirements!
- SECURITY: Like it or not, no one can guarantee website security. At the very minimum, website code must be updated in order to harden it against vulnerability. Management matters and a serious marketer must invest in highly regarded website defense. Solutions like a firewall, daily malware scanning, two-factor login authentication and much more!
- WORDPRESS: And finally for websites, a business should use WordPress?
At Kinetic Knowledge, we are a local SEO expert and have helped hundreds of local businesses around NJ increase traffic, visibility, and leads through both our packages for custom website design and our Fundamental SEO services.
Contact us today to find out how we can help!
