How to be a good steward of your website. Pssst…I’m talking SEO and ROI.
I had an inquiry call recently where the potential client said they “loved how beautiful Squarespace was but…it didn’t convert”
It didn’t turn out to be a good fit, seeing as how I specialize in Squarespace website design and development. And—hey—Squarespace isn’t the right fit for everyone and I’ll be the first to tell you if I think it’s the wrong platform. But, I thought about the conversation for a while trying to put my finger on what specifically was nagging me most…
It really boils down to this: your website platform has VERY little to do with how well your website converts visitors into paying customers.
So, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some things with you that will ACTUALLY help you see results, improve your SEO (search engine optimization), and make your investment with a web designer/developer a good one. Let’s get right down to it.
Check all the boxes on this SEO and Site Launch Checklist.
It may seem painstakingly dull but following best practices behind the scenes only increases the impact your site will have. Since this could be its own blog post, I’ve put together this easy peasy checklist so you can make sure you’re crossing your Ts and dotting your Is on your own time and we can move on to the next tip! Download the Checklist.
Frequently update your website with content just for your customers (and maybe for Google too).
If you invest in custom website but then let your site sit and never touch it again, was it really a good investment? Probably not. When you let your site sit and expect it to just ‘work’ for you, you run the risk of Google filing it under “irrelevant” and burying it in search results graveyard—ie VERY far from page one.
Consider your website a living, breathing thing that requires care. Anyone remember Nanopets? Same concept but not really. Hiring a designer to build a custom website for you is only part of the equation. It’s up to you to keep it alive!
Here are some ways to make sure your site doesn’t wither on the vine…
Blog: Create relevant helpful content that your site visitors can benefit from while appeasing the search engine gods with said relevant helpful content.
Update Images and Content: Mark your calendar to update your website photos and content every quarter to give it a breath of fresh air. This doesn’t have to be a massive change, but it’s a good practice to make sure your website copy, services or or offerings are still aligned with your brand.
Portfolios & Case Studies: Like blogging, having a portfolio or case study might be an application that better suits your type of business.
Hire a website copywriter.
The words or copy on your website are just as important if not more than the way your site looks. Your website copy is the thing that’s going to make a connection, influence, inform—essentially it’s the thing that’s going to move the needle the most.
Copywriters do FAR more than write words. They help you create your own unique voice and personality for your brand. They also organize your website copy in a very strategic way based on the goals of your business AND website.
With the help of a professional copywriter, you can be sure that what you’re offering is crystal clear. And, with little to no chance of confusion as to what it is you do, for whom, how, and why…well, friend…it’s no mystery to your website visitors how you can help them.
Fancy yourself a good writer who can confidently DIY your website copy? If that’s the case, maybe writing your own website copy and hiring a copywriter to review and refine your copy is the right call to make (and maybe more budget friendly).
Either way, you should care just as much about your website copy as you do your website design—they go together like peas and carrots. I have some resources link in this blog post.
Make sure you have clear call-to-actions on every page of your website that make it easy for your website visitor to work with you.
It’s easy to assume your visitors will do what you want them to do because why else would they be on your website?! But the reality is sometimes the path from A to B isn’t always clear. Spell it out for them. Tell your site visitors what to do and where to go while also making them feel seen, heard, and taken care of along the way.
Think about the main goal of your website. What is it? Snag subscribers to build your email list? Encourage visitors to book a consultation call? Have your visitors make a purchase? Whatever it is, lead people to take action with those intentions.
Make sure you’re partnering with creatives that are a good fit.
Choosing a creative partner for your business is a big deal. Pick wrong and you could end up feeling like you wasted a lot of time and money. This is why it’s so important to be mindful of who you’re putting your trust in and who you’re taking business advice from. There are a lot—I mean A LOT—of folks out in the WWW who can influence decisions we make as business owners. If we’re not careful, we’ll take bad advice without even realizing it.
Always ask questions and stay curious about the process. Watch out for red flags. And remember, working with a creative should be a collaborative process. It’s just as much your right as the business owner to vet your creative partner as it is their’s to vet you as a potential client. Sometimes it’s not always a good match and that’s A-OK. When you prioritize working with a creative that IS a good match, that’s when the magic happens.
