Did you know four out of 10 visitors to your company’s website will leave if it takes more than three seconds to load?
Don’t underestimate the importance of achieving maximal loading speed for your web pages. How do you feel when you go to a site — only to sit there waiting for what seems like forever for the page to load?
You might go to another site instead. But fast loading speeds can also impact your search engine optimization. When ranking websites in its search engine page results, Google factors site speed into the equation. So, page load time matters.
Unfortunately, that’s one of many website errors your business might be making. Continue reading to see three other mistakes — and what you need to do now to turn things around.
Not Writing for Humans
Do you know what the Google algorithm and humans have in common? Neither likes web content that reads like it was written by robots for robots. When producing content for your website, you need to know how to write for Google and humans. But what does writing for humans mean? It means your writing must serve the intended purpose of providing your target demographic with the information sought after. Doing this will translate into higher rankings on search engine results pages, driving more traffic to your website and increasing sales.
Consider these two recommendations on how to write better content for humans and Google:
Avoid Keyword Stuffing: One reason it pays to hire an agency specializing in SEO strategies is that you can avoid keyword stuffing. It’s what happens when keywords are inserted into copy without regard for readability. You should insert keywords naturally rather than force them into your copy. Otherwise, they’ll stand out for all the wrong reasons. It’s important to note that keyword stuffing won’t really boost your ranking on search engine results. The ever-evolving Google algorithm doesn’t just focus on keywords. It also assesses the entire article to help determine search engine result page listings. So, stuffing your articles or blog posts with keywords isn’t likely to have much of an impact on your overall ranking.
Use Simple Sentences: Human readers tend to detest long sentences — especially when simpler ones suffice. Google prefers shorter, easy-to-follow sentences too. Your web content needs to be scannable to appeal to humans and Google. According to one source, the average American has the readability level of someone in the seventh or eighth grade. Remember that when producing content for your website. You can use a free online tool like Hemmingway App to write for an audience at a specific grade level.
Not Utilizing Analytics
Even if you hire a web design firm to develop your website, add compelling content, and optimize your website for SEO, you must pay attention to the importance of analytics. You need to know things like the following:
- How your website is doing
- Which pages are popular
- How long visitors stay on specific pages
- How many visitors buy your products and services
- How many visitors bail in the middle of a purchasing transaction
It’s essential to have a comprehensive understanding of how people interact with your website.
There are tools that’ll help you get this information. But working with a website development consultancy can help you interpret the data to use it to your advantage. When you understand the overall effectiveness of your website, you can make changes to boost sales.
“Conversion rate optimization is a delicate dance; one misstep can tarnish the user experience, stifle growth, and erode trust,” says Alexander Svensson, VP of growth and strategy, SiteTuners. “Tread carefully and mindfully, for every decision echoes throughout your audience’s journey.”
Not Considering Mobile Devices
Is your website optimized for use on mobile devices? If not, that’s a big mistake. Consider that 55% of website traffic originates from mobile devices and that around nine out of 10 — 92.3% — internet users go online using a mobile phone. So, you need to ensure that people accessing your website from their smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices can interact with it just as easily as if they accessed your website from their computers or laptops.
Have you checked to ensure your website displays well on mobile screens and is easy to use? Don’t make the error of optimizing your website solely for use on computers and laptops. Doing so will alienate people using their mobile devices to see what you offer online. Strive for accessibility for visitors regardless of their device or browser.
Ensure you write for humans, tap into the analytics, and focus on being mobile-friendly. You want your website to be an effective means of attracting visitors and converting them into customers. So, you’ll want to avoid making mistakes that lower the odds of consumers going to your website, sticking around, navigating the various pages, and buying your products and services.
Ensure you write for humans, tap into the analytics, and focus on being mobile-friendly. You want your website to be an effective means of attracting visitors and converting them into customers. So, you’ll want to avoid making the type of mistakes that lower the odds of consumers going to your website, sticking around, navigating the various pages, and buying your products and services.
