As the new year is well and truly underway, people across the world are starting to get their resolutions into gear in an attempt to improve their bodies and minds. So why shouldn’t your website be given an enhancement as well? A few tweaks and adjustments here and there can not only make your website more search engine-friendly, but also enhance user experience overall.
Therefore, we think it is good timing to provide a useful list regarding what mistakes your website should avoid making in the new year.
Not being optimized for mobile
Users love to pinch and zoom their way around a website right? Definitely not. In 2017, visitors to a website would expect the site to be mobile-friendly, due to the fact that it’s now been shown that 60% of web searches are made through a smartphone. What’s more, Google looks much more favorably on a site that is optimized for mobile. To stay relevant and accessible this year, every site simply needs to cater for mobile users.
Having slow loading times
The occasional website crash is understandable, after all, even Google and Facebook go down now and then. But consistently slow loading times is an unforgivable sin no website should be making. Apart from having a reliable web server, it should be the responsibility of the webmaster to ensure their site is running quickly and efficiently. One way to do this is by using a website checker like 1&1 provides, which will test your site over several categories and then provide useful feedback on how these can be improved.
Not using SSL security
An SSL certificate is basically more important for ecommerce sites, or any site where user data needs to be entered and stored, as it simply provides an extra layer of security against hackers. But an SSL as well as an HTTPS prefix, undoubtedly give users a better feeling of safety, which can result in more visits to your site.
Basic, Domain Validated SSL certificate is cheapest option to protect your entry level website, you can get such types of certificates under $5 per year. Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate is the foremost for eCommerce business, financial institutes, or banking sites, if you want to increase more trust of your customers, such certificates cost around $80 per year. There are many SSL certificate providers on the web, you can choose decent provider like CheapSSLshop.com – full worth of money along with free installation help. Check out our article on security trends and threats to watch for in 2021 for more online safety tips.
Not having enough basic information or interesting content
Though it may seem obvious to some, the lack of straightforward info; such as how to contact, FAQs, or an ‘About Us’ section on your website, can be hugely detrimental. This again applies more towards the ecommerce websites, it doesn’t hurt to provide as much information about what your website actually is. Similarly, continually putting out interesting and useful content (for blogs and ecommerce sites alike) is paramount in keeping search engines and readers engaged.
Ignoring social media
Last but not least, is for a website to ignore the wealth of potential that social media contains. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are three platforms that provide another string to your bow, allowing new ways to promote, increase trust and brand awareness, and even drive more traffic to your site. Hootsuite is a beneficial tool that many website owners are using, and can satisfy those who say that they don’t have the time to post on social media.
