Your business website is an extension of your sales team. it should capture leads, convert traffic and provide the information that the user is looking for. Here are the last 6 website mistakes you may be making and what you need to do to fix them:

Click here to view 15 Website Mistakes You Should Avoid (Part 1)

Your Website Lacks Great Content: Website Mistake #10

Google has been making adjustments to their algorithm more than twice per day for the last few years. If your website pages and posts do not have at least 350-400 words per article then you are not going to see those pages ranking too often on the first page of Google for the desired keywords that you want your site to get found for.

Too much content can be an issue if you have done a poor job writing copy that includes your keywords in an organic way throughout the article.

Google has been rewarding sites that have exceeded the one thousand word mark, because they want to provide the user searching the best quality posts and information that they can in the first 5 links of a search query.

Your On-site Optimization is Missing: Website Mistake #11

Content is Still King

If you are not an SEO or Search Engine Optimization expert that does not mean that you cannot do a wonderful job writing great content on your website!

The key to good on-site optimization is following the format or the checklist that we have provided here in these 15 Web Design Tips for Business.

• Have a Mobile or Responsive Website Design
• Use The Proper Site Title & Tagline
• Use The Best Page Title for Your Page or Post
• Don’t Use A Rotating Slider on Your Home Page (above the fold)
• Use Your Post Name in Your Permalinks
• Your Heading Tags Should Include Your Keywords
• Your Site Should Load Quickly
• Optimize Your Website Images
• Use the SEO Yoast Plugin for WordPress
• Write Great Content That Makes The Internet Better

You Don’t Categorize Your Posts: Web Design Tip #12

Post categories are a wonderful way to keep related content that is published on your website in one central location that is easy to find. If you do not use WordPress, once again you are missing out on some wonderful features that this open source platform can offer your website design!

Contact The Sherwood Group for a free consultation to see if a WordPress Responsive Website Design is right for your business.

Each post that is published on your blog should have been categorized properly. In the back end of WordPress, (when you are creating a post) you will find a widget rail on the right hand side that is labeled “Categories.” Simply check the category box to add a post to a category or click “add new category” to create an additional category for your website.

You Never Submitted Your Site To Webmaster Tools: Website Mistake #13

Your website should be connected to Google Webmaster tools. To do this you can log into your Google Account:

Next, paste in your URL and click “submit request.”

Here is a complete guide to using Google Webmaster Tools from Search Engine Watch.

You  Are Linking Out To Way To Many Sites: Website Mistake #14

Your website should provide the user with great information. It is always helpful to link out to the best resources that you can find for illustrating or further explaining your points in depth. Here are three tips for linking from your site:

• Have a limited amount of site links that are linking off-site
• Do not use their keywords to link to them
• Consider writing a second article on your own blog to link to rather than sending the visitor off your site

If you worked so hard to get found online, whether it was: in the organic search, traffic from paid ads. press releases or social media…

Why send that traffic somewhere else to continue their research?

Be the expert by providing the information needed on your own website. Limit how often you link to another site and avoid using the relevant keyword anchor text links that pass your page “power” or “page juice” onto the mega sites on the web.

You Don’t Use Alt Tags for Your Images: Website Mistake #15

Each image on your website can have an attribute that brings up a line of text when the users mouse hover over the image in your site page or post. This a:hover feature is known as “Alt text.” Many times people did not know: what alt text is, what it does or how to use it properly.

Write something in your alt text field so that your mouse over on the image brings up a text line that tells the user and the search engine what this image is all about.

This is a great place to briefly summarize the image, (using your keywords) in less than 5-7 words. Don’t skip the alt text!

Contact us for more information to help you grow your business.

Click here to view 15 Website Mistakes You Should Avoid (Part 1)

If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to check out these others:

Four Clients You Should Fire Immediately
How To Claim Your Google Local Business Listing
Tips for Working at Home (Part II)
Are You Charging Enough for Your Services?
How to Make Social Media Marketing Work for Your Business
Is There Still Gold in Cold Calling?
4 Tips for Entrepreneurs Looking to Grow Their Business
3 Ways to use LinkedIn Groups to Grow Your Professional Network

This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising,  graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering,  Now what do we do?”  We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Do you need help growing your business? Click here to check out the social media marketing and website design packages from The Sherwood Group. We’ll help you capture new business and achieve your goals.

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