Your web presence can have an impact on your small business but it’s up to you whether that impact is positive or negative.
I’m going to tell you something you probably already know: Having a website is crucial to your business. You hear it everywhere, and, at this point, it’s almost common knowledge. I visited a panel a few years back in Washington DC where a representative from Google said that almost 50 percent of all independently owned businesses don’t have a website. It’s almost unheard of with how easy it is to start a site with services like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and Shopify at everyone’s disposal.
Owning a website isn’t enough either. You need to maintain and update your site as often as you can just like you need to do with everything else in your business. It sounds like a lot of work but think of it like getting into the batter’s box without a bat… and Tom Seaver is lobbing fastballs at you.
For those who have a site and let it fall to the wayside, well, now you’re facing Seaver with a wiffle bat. Sure, you have a bat but you’re ill-equipped. Here are a few SEO tips to improve the likelihood your website is recognized by the Google Monster.
The technical purpose of regular blog postings, or online publications, is to tell search engines that your website is constantly being updated, and each new page should be indexed. This makes your site much more visible in search results for industry-specific keywords.
But the intent of the blog is threefold; both your current and future customers and clients will use your blog as a resource to sort through useful information that pertains to their needs and solves their problems. Blogging can’t guarantee you a customer, but repeat visitors mean they’re interested in what you offer, which can potentially lead to a sale.
You’re also building a relationship with your readers, meaning they’re smack dab in the middle of the buyer’s cycle. If you haven’t started already, get to writing a blog; just don’t skimp out on delivering relevant and useful information. Blogging just for the sake of blogging can be seen as cheap and your audience can see right through the charade.
Blogging is great but having your audience read a wall of text can grow tiresome. Adding a little variety to your content freshens up how your message is delivered and helps with getting your site recognized by search engines.
In addition to written blog posts, I record Straight Talk videos that are much more accessible to my audience. Businesses and entrepreneurs like Synchrony Bank, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Dave Ramsay, record podcasts in addition to their blogs and videos.
If you don’t have the time for blogging or video, consider working with images. Throw in an infographic where it makes sense to enhance your blogs. Remember, don’t neglect the ‘alt text’ of your image. Use relevant keywords as they help make search engines understand the images you placed, as well as making it accessible for those who are visually impaired.
This is one of the most important parts of building out a website that I see many people fail time and time again. I deal with clients who do the bare minimum, making their site look completely outdated. Having an ugly looking site isn’t a crime but making it difficult to navigate should very well be.
Is your site navigable to those technologically illiterate? Task someone technology inept with finding the blog on your site. If they can do it, then your site is easy to maneuver; if not, reconsider how your website is structured and try again.
Mobile First
Also, make sure your website can be viewed across multiple browsers and is mobile-friendly. If your site was created with a site builder like Squarespace or Wix, this is an issue you don’t have to worry much about. If your site is difficult to view on smartphones or tablets, it is not SEO friendly. This means you’re giving your competition an opportunity to outrank you in the search results.
You aren’t just limited to these three things. There are a ton of things you can be doing to ensure your website is indexed and tracked by search engines. If you haven’t thought it already, hire a digital marketing specialist for your team to monitor and manage your website full time.
If you need help with making your website more SEO friendly, tweet at me @MoscaSmallBiz, or give me a call: (800) 743-0402.