I attended the Google Engage Conference in Cape Town in November, and they had some great, clear cut tips on how to optimize your website.
- Confirmation. I find this is especially true with advertisements pointing to your website. If you are advertising a specific service only to be taken to the home page, you will likely be disappointed.
- Speed. If a website is image heavy and has a long load time, chances are people will be unimpressed regardless of the content.
- First Impression. There are so many bleh websites and you don't want to be one of them! You need to have a strong initial presence to capture peoples' attention.
- Branding and site purpose. This one speaks for itself! If your branding doesn't convey a strong identity, viewers will likely feel indifferent towards it. This can be turned around with a great designer and a beautiful corporate identity.
- Design. The adage "deeds not words" could just as easily have been "design not words"! Design speaks volumes, and reflects the core values of your company. Is it sleek sophistication you are after? Want to underscore your technical abilities? Use design to convey what seems disingenuous to explain.
- Visuals. Shutterstock images are an absolute no-no, as are pixelated or blurry ones! Demonstrate your professionalism with quality visuals - particularly larger banners.
- Text. We all know text is good for SEO. HTML5 is challenging with text being displayed as images, but its worthwhile being aware of this. If you aren't a wordsmith, there plenty of freelancers willing to help you out.
- Call to Action. The fastest way to not illicit a reaction out of someone is to not ask for one. If your first banner is a striking one which prompts users to click / call or change something - don't be afraid to ask.
- Value Proposition. Be clear about how you/your product can add value.
- Persuasion. Be sure of what you are selling, and sell its benefits to the consumer in a strong, succinct way.
0 comments:
Post a Comment