Amidst other aspects of your site, staying updated often gets to the bottom of the checklist. You’re also guilty of that, but no one’s judging! Your website is an evolving piece of your business, so it’s your responsibility to keep working on it. The to-do list keeps varying from time to time; however, a few must-do’s remain on priority.
1. Strong Domain Name
When it comes to choosing the right domain name, less speaks more. Shorter domains are easier to remember. You can always get creative, but it must match your brand’s identity, be unique, sound professional, ensure security and build trust.
2. Layout and Aesthetics
If the visitor doesn’t stay on your site for more than the first three to five seconds, your website isn’t looking like it’s supposed to. Content and page speed are vital factors to consider; however, aesthetics too play a significant role in deciding whether or not the user will stay. Your site must stand out, but not at the cost of simplicity as well as accessibility.
3. Call to Action (CTA)
Effective CTAs direct the visitors into performing the desired actions. These suitably draw attention to the needed areas since the copy tells the visitors what they need to do.
Also, if your website CTAs land the visitors on different pages make sure there’s continuity.
4. Fast Page Loading
You have just a few seconds to entice the visitor into sticking around your site. Half the efforts are accomplished if the page load time is lower. So, have better strategies and opt for the right CDN (Content Delivery Network), host, as well as design.
5. Search Engine Optimization
Extensive and smart SEO efforts increase your brand’s visibility. These help you rank much higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). Therefore, staying on top of SEO brings you in the loop of the prevailing web environment.
6. Analytics
Observe your site’s Analytics every month to make sure you know what is doing well and where you need to improve. Set aside at least an hour or two to see what is happening on your site. If people are bouncing off frequently and not reaching the path you want them to, build that flow.
7. Mobile Friendly
Pages with a Responsive Web Design (RWD) are aimed at crafting a great user experience across different platforms and screens. For this, you can make the site AMP-compliant (Accelerated Mobile Pages) and provide a user-first format. It also loads the pages much faster.
8. FAQ Page
Essentially, an FAQ page is a central page for users to find answers. A simple, to-the-point FAQ page provides easy navigation, boosts the internal linking process and saves your money on customer service.
9. Original Content
Regularly updating your content is the way to Google’s heart. Having fresh and new content keeps your visitors reading and clicking.
10. Social Media Integration
It encourages multi-platform sharing and allows visitors to share the content with ease. This has the potential to add on to your customer/ visitor base.
11. Home Page Structure
This page can tell your visitors the company’s story, who you are, what you do, and what makes you different. It establishes you as a legitimate business and allows the visitor to gain more insight into your work.
12. Broken Links Check
There are so many websites with internal links that take you nowhere. For instance, having a website blog post linked on the homepage that doesn’t exist anymore or if you’ve changed your URL slug. If these pages are cached on search engines, your site visitor may end up redirected to a 404 page. So, make sure you check all the broken links through many online tools such as Ahrefs and Screaming Frog and redirect them to the right active page.
13. Security
Every 39 seconds, a cyber attack happens, particularly to smaller businesses. Thus, Google favors HTTPS to achieve the safest web experience and provide customer satisfaction.
We hope this checklist gives your site a head start. While you may still want to consider some more points, we can help you create the right blueprint. At EXXCELRANK, we help brands design and update a site of their dreams – a site that they can proudly show off. Shoot us an e-mail and send in your queries so we can guide you through the entire designing process.
