Five Things EVERY Site Should Have
Your web site needs five things??? Yes.The fast-paced growth of web presence has forced a lot of people to play a game for which they might not be ready.
With everyone building personal or commercial websites, it only makes sense to have a professional presence online. Frankly, though, this can be tough, especially since you could have competition you didn’t even know existed in the first place. Having a professional site, one that aesthetically reflects this professionalism, is now the minimum requirement.
There are five basic but supremely important elements every website should have to get noticed, pull in readers, and earn you some business.
Your site should not only have the ability to adapt to smartphone and tablet screens, it should still keep as many of the features while doing so. Having the right tools to make your site mobile friendly is quite easy, and everyone is moving past the era of mobile-specific versions of sites.
These tools, however, are usually built into the site’s HTML or CSS. Make sure the right elements are there or contact your web developer. Before you cry wolf, though, put your website through a simple test and see for yourself!
- Metadata
It’s important to have the data about your data. Metadata is essential because it summarizes basic information about the data on your site. It helps search engines retrieve the right pages for users, and having the right meta tags and elements helps search engines retrieve your page when a relevant search is made.
The keywords in the metadata are factored into the algorithms that comb the Internet for relevant search returns. Having it means you’re more likely to be pulled up in the top results for relevant search engine queries. And speaking of search engines…
Your site must, must, must be SEO-friendly. Search engines can’t determine your page is relevant if they can’t easily see relevant content. Metadata is great, but all your pages have to have proper keywords, tags, backlinks, structure, and new and original content. They are all a must if Google or any other search engine is going to find your site and pull it up high in their returns.
Search engine optimization is basically making it easier for a search engine to find you when someone makes searches for a topic within your area of expertise. If you’re properly formatting your pages, search engines should have no problems seeing your relevance.
- Appealing Design
When everything is laid out and arranged perfectly on your site, it helps Google better understand what you’re all about. This includes a good menu and site structure, yes, but the way you’ve styled your content matters too. Having titles and article subheadings makes it easier for search engine algorithms to read your page’s content.
An appealing design can also keep audiences who have just discovered your site. A site that isn’t pleasant to read can easily put off visitors, and they will quickly go to the next return. Internet browsers have thousands of options at their disposal now; make sure your page is the one that makes them stop searching.
- Kickass Content
Content is what sets you apart. Every other website will have the four elements previously described, because these are crucial; like we said in the title, these are elements every site should have. Having fresh, new, kickass content separates the wheat from the chaff, the true professionals from the posers. It makes you look trustworthy, up-to-date, and relevant.
Don’t think that “fresh, new” content means pulling news stories from the AP or copying someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. The content on your site needs to be excellent, and it needs to be original. Original writing is great. Original multimedia, like pictures, video, and slideshows, are even better.
Having awesome, unique content will prove to search engines that you have original things to say. Better yet, it’ll bring your site to a wider audience, who will also be convinced that you know your stuff.
Everything on this list will prove you know your stuff, both to audiences and to the tools they use to find information. If you’re unsure about how to put these elements to use, contact a digital marketing firm!
