Award-Winning Web Design: Modernize My Site Clinches 'Best Web Shop 2024' Icon Award
Modernize My Site has been crowned the “Best Web Shop 2024” at the prestigious AAF Colorado Icon Awards. This accolade isn’t just another trophy – it’s a testament to our commitment to crafting exceptional, user-centric WordPress websites that drive results for businesses of all sizes.🎉🏆
The Icon Award: More Than Just a Shiny Paperweight
The American Advertising Federation of Colorado, the oldest and largest advertising trade association globally, doesn’t hand out awards like candy at Halloween. The Icon Award represents the pinnacle of web design excellence, recognizing agencies that push the boundaries of creativity and functionality in building websites that make a huge difference for local businesses and ecommerce ventures alike.
What This Award Means for You:
Validation: Your WordPress site is in the hands of recognized industry leaders.
Innovation: We’re at the forefront of web design trends and best practices for WordPress themes and plugins.
Results: Our award-winning approach translates to better ROI for your business website.
Building Damn Sexy WordPress Websites
In the age of template-driven design and AI website builders, Modernize My Site stands out by creating bespoke WordPress websites that don’t just look good—they perform exceptionally well for your target audience.
Why Choose Us? Because We're People, Not Chatbots
Custom WordPress development tailored for any business including ecommerce businesses
Responsive design optimization for a user-friendly interface across all devices
SEO-driven information architecture to help you reach more customers
FAST Builds with our new One Week Website process that does not sacrifice quality for speed.
Innovating New Processes to compete with AI
Spoiler: We’re Winning (Sorry robots.)
While AI tools might be the buzzword du jour, at Modernize My Site, we believe in the power of human creativity augmented by cutting-edge technology to create versatile tools for your business success.
Our Secret Weapon: The Human Touch (and Coffee, Lots of Coffee)
We bring a human touch to this digital world, understanding your business needs beyond what a drag and drop editor can offer.
We listen to your needs to build the WordPress site of your dreams, complete with premium themes and plugins.
We translate your ideas into digital reality with brand integration, a user-friendly UX design, and features like abandoned cart recovery for ecommerce businesses.
We launch your perfect website, optimized for performance and SEO-driven to snatch the attention of your target audience. Your website will be more than just a home page—it’ll be a versatile tool that can make a huge difference in helping you sell products online.
Professional Designer Vs Ai Website Builder
Sure, an AI website builder can generate a website faster than you can say “algorithm,” but can it understand the nuances of your brand identity or create an emotional connection with your audience? We think not. AI has its place as an excellent tool to help growing businesses, but it’s not a replacement for professional web designers who can craft landing pages that convert.
Why We're Better Than Robots:
We have emotions (mostly positive ones, we promise)
We understand sarcasm, in fact we are fluent in it! (unlike some virtual assistants we know)
We won’t try to take over the world (probably…at least not today, we’re busy building websites today.)
The Modernize My Site Advantage:
Tailored Solutions: We don’t do one-size-fits-all.
Strategic Thinking: Every design decision is backed by data and experience to make WordPress sites that stand out.
Ongoing Support: With our hosting packages and ongoing care, we’re in it for the long haul, not just until launch day.
Why Choose an Award-Winning Agency for Your Web Design Needs?
Selecting Modernize My Site means partnering with a team that’s been recognized for excellence in web design and development. Our Icon Award is proof that we don’t just talk the talk—we walk the walk, in some pretty stylish shoes, if we do say so ourselves.
Your website could be our next winning Website design!
Get started with Modernize My Site on a damn sexy website that utilizes:
Cutting-edge design trends for eye-catching WordPress themes
Advanced SEO strategies to boost your site’s visibility
E-commerce optimization to help you sell products online without hefty transaction fees
Mobile-first development for a seamless user experience across all devices
The Modernize My Site Difference: We're People, Not Pixels
At Modernize My Site, we believe that great websites are born from great relationships. We’re not just another faceless digital agency—we’re your partners in online success.
Our Approach:
Face-to-Face Consultations: We prefer coffee shops or Zoom meetings to chatbots when discussing your business website needs.
Transparent Communication: No tech jargon or hidden agendas here, just clear talk about WordPress websites that help build your brand and your business.
Collaborative Design Process: Your input on your own content and design is invaluable, not an inconvenience.
Our Love Language: Building Kickass Websites
At Modernize My Site, we’re all about spreading the love. And by love, we mean creating websites that make your competitors weep with jealousy. From small businesses to massive corporations, new business owners to seasoned veterans of their craft, we treat every client with the same care and attention. Your time is valuable, that’s why every project is the VIP on your build week. Find out more about our process.
Ready to Elevate Your Online Presence?
If you’re tired of cookie-cutter websites that blend into the digital landscape, it’s time to experience the award-winning difference of Modernize My Site. Let’s create a web presence that not only looks stunning but also drives real business results.
Request a Custom Quote for your business website project
Explore Our Portfolio of Award-Winning WordPress Designs
Don’t settle for mediocrity in your web presence. Choose Modernize My Site—where award-winning design meets unparalleled functionality. Because in the world of web design, being “good enough” is simply not good enough for your growing business.
Contact us today and let’s start building your digital masterpiece. After all, shouldn’t your website be as impressive as your business?
Do you have a website but no one seems to find it?
Do you want a fresh look for an old website that is showing its age?
Have issues with load times or crashes on your current website?
Modernize My Site can help you with website project quotes that fit your small business needs. Whether you’re looking for a quote for web development or a total redesign, Modernize My Site would love to help you realize your dream website redesign.
When you choose MMS as your development partner, we are there at every step of the process with no surprises or hidden costs. We’ll help you communicate your vision from day 1 to get an accurate quote for the perfect website development or redesign.
Key Takeaways for your web development project:
A website redesign requires careful evaluation of the need for an update. Some factors to consider include:
User Experience: UX engages potential clients and customers so your website makes the best first impression for you or your business.
Site Performance across Devices: Nothing screams amateur more than a site that was never set up to be viewed on a variety of screens. A majority of your potential customers will view your website on a mobile or tablet screen, and a bad first impression might become your last chance to impress them.
Relevance of the Design to Meet Business Objectives: Your website is the online storefront for your business. MMS will make sure your website design works as an information hub and sales funnel to help you build your business.
Choosing the right web design agency is crucial, and Modernize My Site has a fantastic track record based on excellent customer care and customer service, an impressive and diverse portfolio, and the ability to understand and align with your business goals, without losing focus on SEO.
Effective website redesign involves a clear definition of needs and expectations, understanding a realistic budget and timeline, and avoiding common mistakes that prematurely date your website or kill your SEO.
Does your website need a redesign?
The decision to update your website can be a huge trust fall. An effective website redesign requires an investment of time, resources, and funds, but putting off an update for too long can lead to disaster. As the digital front door to your business, your website design should be current and up to or above the standards of your competitors. Studies show that most newer consumers make most of their retail and service decisions based on online presence, making your website the most important storefront you own.
Signs your website needs a redesign
Crashes, broken links, long loading times, and terrible user experience are all signs that your website needs a redesign. With constant updates to SEO standards for search engines like Google, you can struggle with being found online and with keeping customers interested and happy enough to achieve high conversion rates. Nothing drives new customers away more quickly than a website that doesn’t load quickly or function well on all devices, and outdated design can damage your credibility with new customers. Modernize My Site blends your aesthetic project goals with the technical expertise necessary to build the perfect website.
Finding the right company for your website redesign
Finding the right company for your website redesign is very important. Modernize My Site is a web development company with a proven track record, solid portfolio, and a collaborative approach that keeps our customer satisfaction ratings high.
We understand your needs and work with you to deliver a website in line with your business goals. Building a website that reflects your brand while keeping you ahead of the current best practices for search engine optimization. If you want to work with one of the best web design agencies for website development and redesign, Modernize My Site is the right web design agency for you.
What to expect from your Website Redesign
A clear understanding of what the redesign process entails is vital when beginning a website overhaul. From defining your needs and expectations to setting a realistic budget and timeline, each step requires careful consideration and planning.
Define Your Needs and Expectations
It’s important to have a clear definition of your needs and expectations before initiating a website redesign project. Addressing these questions early will help ensure the success of your redesign process. Some important questions to consider include:
What are the objectives that you want your new website to accomplish?
What specific goals and outcomes do you hope to achieve with your website?
Who is your target audience, and what features will they find valuable or expect?
Are there any special requirements or additions that may need to be factored into the budget or timeline?
Set a Realistic Budget and Timeline
Establishing a realistic budget and project timeline ensures everyone is on the same page for your web design project. The budget should reflect the complexity of your project and the expertise required to execute it. Give us a call for an accurate and customizable estimate of your project or contact us now. The size and scope of your business and project should be considered when determining the timeline, accounting for all steps of development from initial design to final testing and launch.
How to Request a Website Redesign
Once you’ve decided that your website needs a redesign and have defined your needs, expectations, budget, and timeline, the next step is to request a website redesign. Contact us now to get a quote. From there you can set up an in-person or video conference consultation with our design team where we will get to know you and your business personally, including information about your industry, competitors, customer base, and location.
Why you should choose Modernize My Site
We know the decision of which web development company to entrust with your website redesign is personal and deeply important. Experience, technical expertise, and a commitment to delivering high-quality results are all important factors to consider for your digital storefront.
Modernize My Site offers all this and more. We pride ourselves on above-standard customer service, a love for talking face-to-face with our clients, a proven track record of success, a team of skilled professionals, a portfolio full of damn sexy websites, and an individualized approach to modern web design. Modernize My Site wants to help you build the website of your dreams, and we hope we will be your choice for your website redesign project. Contactus today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I request a website design?
When requesting a website design, Modernize My Site meets with you to provide a detailed description of your requirements and needs for your project. We use an ala carte list and customize it to better fit your needs and expectations! Need help? Contact usnow.
What is a website redesign proposal?
A website redesign proposal is a formal document outlining the plan to update and enhance a website’s overall appearance, functionality, and user experience. It typically includes a problem statement, proposed solution, and estimated time and budget needed for the project. Ready to get started?
How do I know if my website needs a redesign?
Hopefully, by now we’ve already answered this for you. TLDR: If your website has poor user experience, low conversion rates, outdated design, or slow loading times, it may be time for a redesign. Want our design professionals to assess your current website? Contactus now.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Web Redesigns
Website redesigns can be complex and challenging. Making sure you understand the common mistakes that businesses often make during the website design RFP process can help you avoid them.
Set realistic expectations for the time and effort involved in creating and executing a good web design RFP.
Never underestimate the importance of clear communication.
Make sure you use a company with excellent communication and project management.
Ignoring any of these factors can lead to a frustrating or unsuccessful redesign. Working with Modernize My Site takes the stress out of your redesign with an established website RFP process that keeps you in the loop every step of the way from website RFP template to launch.
Summary
A website redesign can breathe new life into your online presence and help align it with your current business goals. Identifying the need for a redesign, defining your needs and expectations, and setting a realistic budget and timeline are all crucial steps in the process.Contact Modernize My Site now.
1-Page Website
"Small But Mighty!"
$
1295
A comprehensive One-Page Website built in WordPress with six individual sections
Section titles across the top that snap to their corresponding page sections when clicked
Professional stock images with the proper licensing
A custom mood board that determines how the website will be design/built
A contact form for capturing leads that notifies you via email
Ongoing website management with up to 30 minutes of changes each month at no additional cost included with our managed WordPress hosting plan *Additional fees apply*
One-Week Website
"Movin' On Up"
$
3495
A comprehensive, custom-built 5-Page Website using WordPress
Keyword research to ensure we are writing in a way that influences search engines
Text strategically written by a professional to get more traffic and convert users
Professional stock images with the proper licensing
A contact form for capturing leads that notifies you via email
A collaborative design/build process where you receive deliverables for approval along the way: your custom mood board, your page structure, your homepage design
Access to Google’s tools that track ongoing website performance
Robust search engine optimization best practices applied to each page
Ongoing website management with up to 30 minutes of changes each month at no additional cost included with our managed WordPress hosting plan *Additional fees apply*
Popular
Value-Packed Website
"Big Kahuna"
$
6995
A comprehensive, custom-built 10-Page Website using WordPress
Keyword research to ensure we are writing in a way that influences search engines
Text strategically written by a professional to get more traffic and convert users
Professional stock images with the proper licensing
A contact form for capturing leads that notifies you via email
A collaborative design/build process where you receive deliverables for approval along the way: your custom mood board, your page structure, your homepage design
Access to Google’s tools that track ongoing website performance
Robust search engine optimization best practices applied to each page
Ongoing website management with up to 30 minutes of changes each month at no additional cost included with our managed WordPress hosting plan *Additional fees apply*
In the lively online realm a visually appealing and user friendly website plays a role, in business success. Web design firms in Colorado Springs are rising to the occasion by offering top notch services that meet diverse requirements. This article will delve into the key features of web design services the significance of ownership and strategies to make your website shine amidst competition.
Web design goes beyond looking good; it’s about building a digital footprint that showcases your brands personality. An effectively designed website can boost user satisfaction, increase interaction and ultimately result in higher conversion rates. Here are important factors that highlight the significance of web design.
User Experience (UX): A website should be intuitive and easy to navigate, ensuring that visitors can find what they need quickly.
Visual Appeal: Attractive designs grab attention and keep users engaged. A visually appealing website can create a positive first impression.
Brand Representation: Your website is often the first point of contact with potential customers. It should reflect your brand’s values and message.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A well-structured website helps in ranking higher on search engines, making it easier for customers to find you.
Ownership of Your Website
A major benefit of collaborating, with a web design firm is the ability to own your website. Unlike rivals that charge fees and lock you into contracts a reputable web design agency gives you full ownership of your site once its finished. This means you can run your website however you want without any expenses.
Building a Customized Website
Every company has requirements and a generic solution seldom proves effective. A personalized website design process entails grasping your goals, audience and specific needs. Here’s how a tailored approach can work to your advantage:
Personalized Design: Your website will be designed to resonate with your brand and appeal to your audience.
Functionality: Whether you need a simple brochure site or a complex e-commerce platform, the design will cater to your specific needs.
Collaboration: Working closely with clients ensures that all aspects of the website align with their vision.
Staying Current with Trends
Web design is an field with new developments and innovations. Keeping up with these changes is essential, to stay ahead of the competition. Here are some of the trends in web design.
Responsive Design: Websites must perform well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Minimalism: Simple and clean designs often lead to better user experiences.
Bold Typography: Using unique fonts can help your website stand out and convey your brand’s personality.
Dynamic Content: Interactive elements can engage users and make their experience more enjoyable.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategies
Having an impressive website is just one aspect of the puzzle. To optimize your visibility online implementing SEO tactics is crucial. Here are a few important aspects of SEO that should be incorporated into your web design.
Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords that your potential customers are searching for.
On-Page SEO: Optimize page titles, headings, and content with targeted keywords.
Quality Content: Regularly updated, high-quality content can improve your site’s authority and attract visitors.
Link Building: Establishing backlinks from reputable sites can enhance your site’s credibility.
Conclusion
In Colorado Springs web design is all about crafting websites that not only have an appeal but also perform exceptionally well. By focusing on aspects like ownership, customization and keeping up with trends businesses can establish a robust online presence. If you’re prepared to develop a website that truly represents your brand and fulfills your requirements think about teaming up with a talented web design agency.
FAQs
What is the average cost of a website in Colorado Springs?
The price of a website can differ greatly depending on how intricate it is what features it includes and the design specifications. Simple websites could begin at approximately $1,000 while more advanced online store platforms might go over $10,000.
How long does it take to build a website?
Creating a website can take anywhere, from a couple of weeks to a few months depending on how extensive the project is and how quickly the client provides feedback throughout the design phase.
Can I update my website myself after it’s built?
Indeed many web design firms offer training and intuitive content management systems that enable clients to effortlessly modify their websites.
What if I want to make changes to my website later on?
Once the initial construction is completed you have the flexibility to make modifications whenever needed. Numerous agencies provide ongoing assistance and maintenance services to help with updates.
For details about web design offerings get a free consultation at Modernize My Site – Book Now. Stay in touch with Modernize My Site through Facebook, Instagram. You can also stay updated on our services by following us on LinkedIn.
Selecting a web designer is essential, for your online success. By asking questions you can assess their skills and make sure they meet your requirements. Here are the ten questions to keep in mind when speaking with prospective web designers.
Asking about a designers background is an important part of the process. Although it may seem straightforward getting to know their history can shed light on their abilities and trustworthiness. Designers who have been in the game for a while tend to charge more than those who are just starting out. An experienced designer can offer insights for your project.
2. What Types of Websites Have You Created?
Web design isn’t a service. Designers typically focus on website types like online stores, corporate sites or individual showcases. Understanding their experience with website types can help you assess their suitability for your project. Feel free to request their portfolio to review samples of their previous work.
3. What’s Your Build Process?
The way a designer approaches their work can show their level of expertise. A well defined and systematic approach suggests that they are both organized and skilled. Requesting them to explain their step by step process can give you insight into how they intend to handle your project.
4. What’s Your Next Available Date?
Knowing when a designer is available is crucial for scheduling your project. If they’re ready to begin it could be a sign. A reliable designer usually has a wait time of one to three weeks, before starting new work. This allows them to focus on your website and give it the care it needs.
5. Can You Provide Testimonials?
Feedback and evaluations can offer valuable information about a designers track record. Check platforms such as Google or Facebook for comments. Endorsements can boost your confidence in your selection while critiques might suggest possible concerns.
6. Do You Offer Additional Services?
Web designers often possess talents, in areas like graphic design, search engine optimization and digital marketing. Knowing about the range of services they provide can help you save time and money. When they can manage facets of your project it could result in a more polished end result.
7. Will You Review My Existing Website?
If you have an existing website and are considering a makeover, it’s worth checking with the designer if they will assess your site. Their evaluation can offer insights, into potential enhancements. Moreover if you’re planning to move content from your website it’s important to grasp their approach to that process.
8. What Do You Need From Me Before We Start?
To make the project run smoothly it’s a good idea to request a comprehensive list from your designer outlining what they require from you before getting started. This could involve things like images, written content and access to systems. By supplying these resources from the outset you can avoid setbacks and misunderstandings throughout the projects duration.
9. Should I Provide Written Copy for the Website?
Web designers often lack writing skills so enlisting a copywriter for the job can be advantageous. It’s advisable to give your designer top notch content from the beginning as it aids them in envisioning the structure and appearance of your website.
10. Do You Build Custom Sites or Use Templates?
It’s essential to know if your designer creates websites from scratch or relies on templates. Custom designs offer flexibility and distinctiveness whereas templates can be faster and budget friendly. Inquire about the aspects and constraints of their method to make sure it matches your vision.
Conclusion
By asking these ten questions you can discover a web designer who matches your vision and can create a website that suits your objectives. Effective communication plays a role, in building a collaboration so feel free to voice your requirements and any issues. Wishing you the best, in your web design adventure!
FAQ
What should I look for in a web designer?
When seeking out potential collaborators it’s essential to consider their track record, impressive portfolio, effective communication abilities and any extra proficiencies that could elevate your project. Feedback and ratings from others also play a role in assessing their trustworthiness.
How much does web design typically cost?
The price can differ significantly depending on the designers expertise the complexity of the website and the services offered. Its advisable to talk about your budget from the beginning to find a designer who meets your requirements.
How long does it take to build a website?
The duration of website development projects can differ but generally ranges, from weeks to months based on the intricacy of the project and the designers schedule.
Can I make changes to my website after it is launched?
Indeed many designers will grant you the needed permissions to make changes. Some might offer maintenance services for a cost.
Get your quote in 10 minutes | We build WordPress websites in one week.
Is your website feeling a little stale? It might be time for a refresh. A new website can breathe fresh life into your business, making it more appealing to customers and boosting your online presence. Perhaps your small business website hasn’t grown as your business has grown and it’s time to present a more professional online presence. Maybe you’re launching a new product or service and need a platform to showcase it. Whatever the reason, a new website can be a powerful tool for growth.
Don’t have a website yet? You’re missing out. In today’s digital world, a website is essential for both individuals and businesses. Whether you’re a freelance artist looking to showcase your portfolio, a small business owner aiming to reach new customers, or just someone wanting to establish an online presence, a website is your virtual storefront. It’s where you can share your story, connect with your audience, and build credibility.
No Hidden Website Costs
Transparency is key when it comes to pricing. At Modernize My Site, we believe in straightforward upfront costs. No surprises, no hidden fees. We provide clear and competitive pricing for our website packages, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. We want you to focus on growing your business, not worrying about unexpected expenses.
What will I spend for my New Business Website?
The cost of a new website can vary greatly depending on several factors. The complexity of your web design, how many pages you need, the specific features and functionalities you require, and the overall scope of the project all play a role in determining the final price. For instance, a simple one-page website will naturally cost less than a complex e-commerce platform with dozens of pages and advanced features. Additionally, the size of your business and your specific needs will influence the website cost. Modernize My Site can handle your WordPress website project from a simple contact page with basic features that you use as an online business card to more complex projects with extra functionality.
What Factors go into the overall cost of my Website Quote?
At Modernize My Site, we believe that every element of your WordPress website contributes to its overall impact. Let’s explore some of the factors that can elevate your online presence:
Website Size and Complexity: Whether you dream of a sleek one-pager that is pretty straightforward or a dynamic, multi-page masterpiece, we offer an awesome website package to perfectly match your vision. Your website’s size and complexity will effect your SEO and capabilities. Check out our packages for 1 page, 5 page, and 10 page websites.
Design and Development: All Modernize My Site sites are custom-built by our team of talented designers. Our designers work with you to create a website that captivates your audience, while our development experts ensure your website is as functional as it is beautiful. Every WordPress website we build is mobile friendly, no matter the number of pages.
Content Creation: Compelling content is the heart of a great website. Our talented copywriters can handle the website copy and blogs that resonate with your target audience and drive engagement.
E-commerce Functionality: If you’re looking to sell products or services online, you can add e-commerce solutions to your package that are designed to create seamless shopping experiences for your customers.
Custom Features: Need something more? Contact us now to talk about what your website needs.
These factors are the building blocks of extraordinary websites. Let’s work together to create a masterpiece that exceeds your expectations.
Website Project Scope and Requirements
Your Vision, Our Expertise
Every WordPress website is a unique journey. To ensure your project aligns perfectly with your goals, we work closely with you to define the scope and requirements.
What do you envision? A sleek online portfolio, a robust e-commerce platform, or a dynamic informational hub? We’ll collaborate to clarify your ideas, identify essential features, and establish a clear roadmap for your project.
From understanding your target audience to defining key performance indicators (KPIs), our expert team will guide you through the process, ensuring that every aspect of your website is tailored to your specific needs.
Scoping a Website Project
Scoping your website project is like creating a blueprint for a dream home. Our process is designed to be collaborative and engaging, ensuring that your vision is at the forefront of every decision and that you know exactly what to expect during your build week. When you meet with our team you will:
Define your Goals
Identify your Target Audiences
Determine Key Features and Functionality for the website
Agree on due dates and schedule your Build week and meetings
Web Design and Development Requirements
Web design requirements may include the creation of a custom design, the use of a premium theme, or the development of a responsive design.
Web development requirements may include the creation of custom features, the integration of third-party APIs, or the development of complex functionalities.
Understanding the specific web design and development requirements is crucial for getting an accurate website quote.
Why Choose Modernize My Site
WordPress Websites That Wow
At Modernize My Site, we don’t just build websites; we craft digital experiences that leave a lasting impression. Our commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of our work.
Modern Design, Modern Tools: We’re obsessed with staying ahead of the curve. Our team meticulously researches and selects the most cutting-edge tools and technologies to ensure your WordPress website is not only stunning but also performs optimally.
High-Quality Craftsmanship: Whether you’re a startup or an established enterprise, your website deserves the same level of polish and professionalism as a Fortune 500 company. We deliver websites that are as sophisticated as your brand.
Mobile First, Mobile Best: In today’s mobile-centric world, a responsive website is non-negotiable. Your website should look and function flawlessly on any device, providing a seamless user experience.
Picture Perfect: Images are the heart of a compelling website. We insist on high-resolution visuals that capture attention and tell your story. Our extensive image library combined with access to professional photography ensures your website is visually stunning.
Cross-Browser Compatibility: We test your website rigorously across all major browsers to guarantee a consistent experience for your visitors. No matter what device or platform they use, your website will shine.
Simplicity and Intuition: A great website is easy to navigate and understand. We focus on creating intuitive designs and clear content that guides users effortlessly through your site. Gone are the days of confusing websites with endless scrolling.
Future-Proof Your Business: The digital landscape is constantly evolving. We build websites with the future in mind, ensuring they remain relevant and effective. Your website won’t become obsolete in a few years; it will continue to thrive.
Let Modernize My Site create a website that not only meets your expectations but exceeds them.
Professional Website Builders
Building a successful website requires expertise, time, and a keen eye for design. While DIY platforms may seem tempting, partnering with professional WordPress website builders like Modernize My Site offers unparalleled advantages. Our team possesses the knowledge and experience to create websites that not only look stunning but also drive results. From crafting compelling designs to optimizing for search engines and ensuring seamless user experiences, we handle the technical complexities, allowing you to focus on your core business. Our commitment to your success extends beyond the launch, with the option to add monthly support and maintenance to keep your website thriving.
Website Built in Just One Week
Imagine having a stunning new website in as little as one week. At Modernize My Site, we’ve streamlined our process to beat the average 10-14 week timeline from ideation to going live without sacrificing function or quality. We deliver exceptional results in record time. Our new build week system means you’ll know exactly when your website will go live.
Once we have all the necessary information and assets from you, we schedule your project for a dedicated build week. Our 1 and 5-page packages are completed in just one week, while our 10-page package is finished in two. This level of efficiency means you can start enjoying the benefits of your new website sooner than ever before.
The Importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
With a growing online market, having a stunning website isn’t enough. You need people to find it. That’s where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. SEO is the art and science of improving your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and adhering to best SEO practices, Modernize My Site helps you attract more organic traffic, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive conversions. Our team of experts will ensure your website is optimized from the ground up, giving you a competitive edge in the online marketplace.
Ongoing Support and Maintenance
A website is a living entity that requires ongoing care to maintain its health and performance. That’s why we offer comprehensive support and maintenance packages designed to keep your website running smoothly and securely.
Our monthly plans include essential services like website backups, security updates, performance optimization, and technical support. By entrusting us with the ongoing care of your website, you can focus on growing your business while we handle the technicalities. Find out more about our hosting packages.
The Importance of Ongoing Support and Maintenance
Ongoing support and maintenance are essential for ensuring that your website remains secure, up-to-date, and performing optimally.
This includes regular updates, backups, and security checks, as well as ongoing SEO and digital marketing efforts.
Understanding the importance of ongoing support and maintenance can help you plan for the long-term success of your website.
Choose a Website build package – Get Your Quote
Ready to transform your online presence? Let’s find the perfect package for your needs. We offer three comprehensive options to suit businesses of all sizes:
Small but Mighty – One Page Website
Perfect for: Startups, freelancers, and businesses with a clear, concise message.
Includes: Stunning one-page design with six professional sections, captivating visuals, mobile optimization, basic SEO, a lead-generating contact form, and 1.5 hours of live revisions before your website goes LIVE!
Optional Add Ons: Professional Copywriting, basic SEO package, monthly hosting with updates.
Build Time: 1 week*
Investment: One Payment of $1295
Make a Big Impact with One Powerful Page:
The Small But Mighty! package is your gateway to a professional online presence. This streamlined, one-page website packs a punch, allowing you to capture visitor attention and generate leads with a focused message.
Here’s what sets your website apart:
Six Customizable Sections: Showcase your brand story, highlight key services, and encourage action with six distinct website sections.
Eye-Catching Design: Our design team will craft a visually stunning website that reflects your unique brand identity.
Seamless Navigation: Effortless navigation allows visitors to explore your website with a single click.
Professional Stock Images: High-quality stock photos elevate your website’s aesthetic and enhance user engagement.
Custom Mood Board: We’ll collaborate with you to create a mood board that perfectly captures your desired website style.
Lead Generation Tools: A strategically placed contact form captures valuable leads and fuels business growth.
Basic SEO Optimization: We’ll lay the groundwork for search engine visibility to help potential customers find you online.
Ongoing Website Management: Enjoy peace of mind with included website management, allowing you to focus on running your business. (Includes up to 30 minutes of changes per month)
Ready to Launch Your Online Success Story?
The Small But Mighty! package is an affordable and efficient way to establish a strong online presence. Get a free quote today and let’s discuss how this package can help you achieve your goals.
*Build time does not begin until all assets have been received.
The One Week Website – 5 Page Website
Ideal for: Established businesses, service providers, and those needing additional pages for products or services.
Includes: Professional design for up to five pages, strategic content creation, SEO optimization, contact form, Google Analytics setup, and ongoing website management.
Build Time: 1 week
Investment: Two Payments of $1747.50 (Total: $3495)
Expand Your Reach with a Multi-Page Powerhouse:
The Five-Page Focus package empowers you to establish a comprehensive online presence. This option allows you to showcase your brand story, highlight key services, showcase products, capture leads, and more, all within a beautifully designed website.
Here’s what elevates your website:
Professional Design: Our team crafts a custom design that reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience.
Strategic Content: Compelling content written by professionals drives traffic, enhances conversions, and strengthens your search engine ranking.
SEO Optimization: We optimize each page to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.
Up to Five Custom Pages: Tailor your website to your specific needs with dedicated pages for services, products, your team, and more.
Lead Generation Tools: Capture valuable leads with a strategically placed contact form.
Performance Insights: Track your website’s performance and user behavior with Google Analytics.
Ongoing Website Management: Enjoy peace of mind with included website management, allowing you to focus on your business. (Includes up to 30 minutes of changes per month)
Ready to Take Control of Your Online Narrative?
The Five-Page Focus package is a perfect fit for businesses seeking a comprehensive and impactful online presence. Get a free quote today and let’s discuss how this package can help you achieve your goals.
Big Kahuna – 10 page website
Best for: E-commerce stores, complex businesses, and those requiring an extensive online presence.
Includes: Custom design for up to ten pages, strategic content creation, e-commerce integration (optional), advanced SEO optimization, Google Analytics setup, and ongoing website management.
Build Time: 2 weeks
Investment: Two Payments of $3497.50 (Total: $6995)
Dominate the Digital Landscape with a Feature-Rich Website:
The Ten-Page Triumph package is designed for businesses seeking a comprehensive and powerful online presence. This option allows you to showcase your brand, highlight a wide range of products or services, implement e-commerce functionality, and establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
Here’s what sets your website apart:
Custom Design: Our team develops a unique website design that reflects your brand identity and captivates your target audience.
Strategic Content Creation: Professionally written content drives traffic, optimizes conversions, and strengthens your search engine ranking.
Advanced SEO Strategy: We implement advanced SEO techniques to maximize your website’s visibility and attract qualified leads.
Up to Ten Custom Pages: Create a comprehensive website with dedicated pages for products, services, blog posts, about us sections, and more.
E-commerce Integration (Optional): Seamlessly integrate an e-commerce platform to sell your products directly through your website. (Additional fees may apply)
Lead Generation Tools: Capture valuable leads with strategically placed contact forms and calls to action.
Performance Insights: Track website performance and user behavior with Google Analytics.
Ongoing Website Management: Enjoy peace of mind with included website management, allowing you to focus on your business. (Includes up to 30 minutes of changes per month)
Ready to Build a Website that Drives Results?
The Ten-Page Triumph package is the perfect solution for businesses seeking a dominant online presence. Get a free quote today and let’s discuss how this package can propel your business forward.
Ready for your Website Quote?
Your website is more than just a digital brochure; it’s a powerful tool for connecting with your audience, generating leads, and driving sales. At Modernize My Site, we’re committed to creating websites that not only look stunning but also deliver results.
Let’s build something amazing together.Contact us today and discover how we can transform your online vision into reality.
Keeping your WordPress website up-to-date is crucial for optimal performance and security. While your website is important for drawing in website traffic and reaching new clients and audiences, managing updates for your website can feel like a never-ending chore. That’s where Modernize My Site (MMS) steps in as your trusted partner for WordPress update services. Skipping a website update might not seem like a big deal, but nearly 92% of all global website traffic comes from Google, and keeping Google happy with effective search engine optimization (SEO) relies on maintaining your website’s visibility, functionality, and performance. Keeping WordPress updated also plays a significant role in the security and functionality of your website.
MMS is your Partner in WordPress Updates
From regular monthly updates to compatibility issues, speed tests, bug fixes, and more!
Modernize My Site handles all your website updates so you don’t have to worry. We offer comprehensive WordPress update services designed to ensure your website remains secure, optimized, and performing at its best.
Our hosting packages pair update services with 30 minutes of client content updates. This means our professionals help you add regular content updates to your website so you can keep the information on your website current without ruining the aesthetic of your website. Adding new high-quality content helps keep your audience engaged and your website ranking high in search results.
WordPress Experts for Your Website
Peace of mind comes with knowing your website is in the hands of qualified professionals. At Modernize My Site, our team consists of WordPress experts who possess in-depth knowledge of the platform’s intricacies. This expertise allows us to efficiently handle all your WordPress update services, from core files and plugins to themes, ensuring your website remains compatible, bug-free, and protected against potential security vulnerabilities on your personal or business website. Additionally, our professionals excel in monitoring and analyzing your website analytics, enabling us to make informed updates that enhance site performance and user experience.
We handle all your WordPress Updates
Here at Modernize My Site, we take a comprehensive approach to WordPress updates, addressing all critical areas to keep your website secure and functioning flawlessly. This includes ensuring all web pages, particularly the most-visited ones, are regularly updated to maintain the highest level of security and performance.
Theme Updates
Outdated themes can introduce compatibility issues and leave your website susceptible to security breaches. Our team stays on top of the latest theme updates and implements them seamlessly on your website, ensuring optimal viewing, performance, and loading times on all types of mobile devices. This ensures your website continues to function as intended and maintains a fresh, modern aesthetic that reflects your brand.
For instance, many popular themes frequently release updates that can improve website speed and performance, especially on mobile devices where the majority of website visits are now taking place. We regularly check for updates that can significantly impact your website’s user experience and search engine ranking.
Plugin Updates
Plugins extend the functionality of your website, but neglecting updates can lead to security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues. Modernize My Site proactively manages plugin updates, ensuring your website plugins are always up-to-date with the latest security patches and bug fixes, keeping your website secure and functioning optimally.
Outdated versions of plugins are regularly exploited by hackers to inject malicious code into your business website. Keeping all your WordPress plugins updated to ensure your website remains secure and functions properly to keep your visitors and web traffic happy.
WordPress Core File Updates
Regular WordPress core updates are essential for maintaining website security and performance. MMS handles all core file updates efficiently, ensuring your website benefits from the latest security enhancements and remains at the forefront of technological innovation.
WordPress core updates often address critical security vulnerabilities. Ignoring these updates can leave your website exposed to hacking attempts. You can find more information about the importance of core updates on the WordPress official website WordPress Core Updates.
Bug Fixes
Even the most robust websites can encounter bugs. Our team stays vigilant and promptly addresses any bugs that may arise during the update process, ensuring your website continues to deliver a seamless user experience for your visitors and a great conversion rate for your site.
By proactively addressing bugs, Modernize My Site helps you avoid website malfunctions that can frustrate your visitors and potentially harm your brand reputation.
Keep your Website Secure with Monthly Updates
Here at Modernize My Site, we recommend monthly updates to ensure your website benefits from the latest security patches and remains protected from hackers and bots looking for vulnerabilities.
WordPress core updates often address critical security issues discovered by the WordPress development team. These updates patch these vulnerabilities, making it much harder for hackers to exploit them and gain access. Additionally, plugin and theme updates frequently include security fixes as well. By keeping your WordPress plugins, themes, and core files updated monthly, you significantly reduce the risk of a security breach and safeguard your website’s data, including customer information and sensitive business details.
Manual vs. Automatic Updates
While WordPress offers an automatic update feature, it’s not always the most reliable solution. Automatic updates can sometimes conflict with plugins or themes, causing unexpected malfunctions. Modernize My Site utilizes a manual update approach. Our team of experts meticulously tests all updates before implementing them on your website.
Manual updates also allow us to address any specific security concerns you may have and prioritize updates that are most critical for your website’s security and performance. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of compatibility issues and ensures a smooth update process that keeps your website functioning optimally with minimal interruptions or downtime.
Support team that hears you and responds
Technical difficulties can arise even with the most diligent update procedures. That’s where a reliable and responsive support team becomes crucial. At Modernize My Site, we understand the frustration of unanswered emails and endless wait times. That’s why we prioritize exceptional customer service.
Our dedicated support team consists of WordPress experts readily available to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have regarding website updates. We provide prompt and clear communication, ensuring your website’s update needs are handled efficiently and effectively. Need more than just the regular monthly updates? Our team can handle your website redesign, fix broken websites, and provide honest website audits to help you figure out exactly what you need to improve to more your website and business forward.
Hosting Clients get 30 minutes of free Content Updates per Month
A website that remains fresh and up-to-date with relevant new content is essential for attracting and retaining customers. In addition to our comprehensive update services, Modernize My Site offers website hosting clients 30 minutes of free content updates every month. Updated content keeps your page fresh. Exploit current trends to refresh old content or add new content to keep your audience connected and excited!
This valuable service allows you to effortlessly add new content without worrying about the technical aspects of updating your site. Our team can add new information, update product descriptions, or incorporate fresh blog posts to ensure your website continues to engage your audience and effectively represent your brand. Updated content is crucial not only for keeping your information current, but also for improving user engagement through A/B testing and making data-driven decisions to enhance website performance.
Regularly reviewing and updating the website’s content is integral to attracting and retaining customers, as it plays a significant role in maintaining a dynamic and engaging online presence.
Search engines like Google prioritize websites with fresh and informative content. Regularly updating your existing content not only improves user experience but also enhances your website’s search engine ranking (SEO). This can lead to increased organic traffic and attract more potential customers to your business. Considering your target audience when updating content will help you catch the eye of even more web traffic, spreading the reach of your brand and enhancing your site’s credibility.
Modernize My Site’s content update service, included in hosting packages, allows you to take advantage of these important SEO boosts at no additional cost.
Fix Broken Links to Improve Search Engine Results Pages
Broken links can negatively impact user experience and damage your website’s credibility. Don’t have any new content this month? Your 30 minutes of content updates can be used to identify and fix broken links haunting your pages. This ensures visitors can navigate your website seamlessly and find the information they’re looking for without encountering frustrating dead ends that regularly kill your conversion rate.
Broken links will also negatively impact your website’s SEO ranking. Search engines penalize websites with a high number of broken links. By fixing broken links, you can maintain a positive user experience and improve your website’s overall SEO health.
Choose Modernize My Site
Keeping your WordPress website updated is an ongoing process, but it doesn’t have to be a burden. Modernize My Site offers comprehensive WordPress update services designed to take the weight off your shoulders. Our team of WordPress experts will handle all your website updates, ensuring your website remains secure, optimized, and performing at its best
With Modernize My Site, you can focus on running your business while we take care of the technical aspects of keeping your website up-to-date. Contact us today to learn more about our WordPress update services and how we can help your website thrive online.
The website world has shifted because of large companies like Amazon and Google who are constantly pushing the envelope of website capabilities. The bar has been set very high and all other businesses are forced to shift their mentality or get left in the dust by more savvy competitors. Especially if you’re a product company, you know that your e-commerce site is either excellent or antiquated. You must provide a typical user experience along with a familiar look and feel or customers will find somebody else that supplies the experience they’re accustomed to. If you do much shopping online, you’ve already made the shift. You stay away from sellers that haven’t adapted.
The following article is exhaustive while remaining not too technical. In fact, many SEOs (search engine optimization experts) will criticize how much of the technical we’ve avoided.
HEY SEOs! This article isn’t for you.
This article is for the average business owner or marketer who doesn’t spend all their time steeped in code. As a result, you won’t find this article riddled with technical jargon. Instead, we focus on two primary areas: structural and visual components. It’s all blended together in a cohesive approach that makes sense to the great majority of readers.
1. Establish Website Goals
What do you want your website to accomplish? We break up websites into three primary categories:
Informational: A simple approach to web design. Something basic that communicates the most high-level ideas about products or services.
E-commerce: For selling products or services through a website.
Conversion: An emphasis on turning visitors into buyers. Whether a multi-step process that integrates a website with other sophisticated tools, or a website that sells directly through the site as fast as possible, there are ways to shorten the buying process with a website that handles the flow of clicking.
What types of visitors do you want to attract ?
What kind of impression do you want to make?
What kind of revenue needs to be generated?
It’s important you understand that to reach your goals, you need to support your website with a marketing budget to drive traffic to it. You can’t just “build it and they will come.”
2. Improve Your Website Photos
Your Photos Suck:
Yes, that was an emphatic statement. Based on the thousands of websites we’ve evaluated over the years, the vast majority include terrible images, which is a shame. Anyone with a credit card has access to millions of professional images from sites like:
Use these! Stop skimping and trying to get by with photos from a five-megapixel camera. If your site looks cheap, your potential customers will know you’re cheap too. If you invest just $79.99 with BIGSTOCK, you get 50 professional grade images. It’s a no brainer.
Use A Real Camera:
I’m not suggesting you need to go out and purchase the latest Canon or Nikon for several thousand dollars, but some of our clients like to send us pictures they’ve taken using a smartphone with a cracked screen and a scratched lens. Just don’t. Really, it’s lame. Some of the high-end smartphones or even a $100 camera can take great pictures.
You’ll know if your photos were taken using a bad camera (or bad camera settings) when you blow up the picture on a computer screen and see that everything is pixelated. Pixelation makes photos look like the old 8-bit video games that were blocky around the edges. Always take the extra step to look at photos closely before trying to use them in a website.
Improve Your Photo Lighting:
The largest difference between someone with an expensive camera and a professional commercial photographer is lighting. Without the funky umbrellas, reflectors, and light boxes, your images will be devoid of the kind of details required for a flagship image. If stock images do not suffice, hire a photographer that will capture unique images of your products, location, people and anything that matters.
If you insist on taking the pictures yourself, here are a few pointers:
I can’t believe I need to say this, but don’t point your camera at the light source
Don’t take photos with a light behind the object so it creates a hard shadow directly in front of what you’re shooting
In fact, don’t use a super bright light that creates any hard shadows
The color of your bulbs and walls will determine the color of your shot
Use multiple lights pointing from different angles to eliminate shadows and evenly light the object
If you’re serious, visit your local photography shop for pointers about lighting and how to properly diffuse light
Make Sure Your Photos Are In Focus:
People are way too excited about the photos they think are interesting and “artistic.” Any time I go to an art show, I’m shocked to see how many photographers are selling out-of-focus photos. They either took the photo from too far away using the wrong lens, or they just didn’t make the proper lens adjustments.
Some of the software in smartphones can help you cheat. If you’re using a high-end smartphone with a great camera, you can usually tap on the area of the screen you’d like to keep in focus and capture something decent. Again, double check the fine details by zooming in on the photo that was taken. Until you know things aren’t fuzzy, your work is not complete.
There’s no better example of the importance of focus than food shots. The details of the image below should make your mouth water.
Your Photo Composition Is Terrible:
What, in your opinion, makes a photo great? That’s obviously a subjective question, but there are some basic rules:
Clinical is old. Warm up and try to look human or people will find a competitor who already does.
Make sure people aren’t wearing a bunch of crazy patterns.
Don’t take pictures from far away. It increases the fuzz factor because you’re relying on zoom which can quickly degrade the photo. Accidental movement from far away makes photos ultra-fuzzy.
Keep the photo simple. Jamming as much as you can into a shot usually means you dilute the value of the most important part of the photo. If you do any research at all, you’ll find that the best ads, best photos, even the best graphic designs are super simple.
Some foods, like refried beans, look like crap. Seriously. Shit on a plate. They might be served at a restaurant, but take photos of whole beans as an alternative.
Consider your audience and what they want to feel when they look at your photos. If you have an amazing spa and want people to feel warm, comfortable, and cozy, don’t feature a picture of a giant lotion bottle on your homepage.
Legal Concerns With Photos:
Don’t ever use Google to find your images and assume you have a legal right to them. If you’re using photos without the right to do so, you’re placing yourself at significant legal risk. Copyright infringement for photos can be pretty serious and cost hundreds of millions of dollars in the most egregious instances.
There are ways to get around paying for images online, but the pickings are slim. Make sure the photos are available under a Creative Commons License. This isn’t full proof because someone can steal the photo, then post it online claiming creative commons licensing. That’s the risk you run for “free.”
Using photos of people that haven’t signed a photo release document is also a very bad idea. It may be a previous business partner, disgruntled employee, or even an estranged friend that decides to stick it to you with a lawsuit after a bitter breakup. Don’t ever use photos of people without written consent.
The Case For A Professional:
Taking a timeless picture that can be leveraged for years to come requires know how, practice, and tons of shots at different angles with different lighting combinations. A commercial photographer has already done this many times over. They’ve been in the trenches taking photos of weird stuff like floors, medical equipment, uncooperative children and moving cars.
A true commercial photographer has studied and practices the science behind shutter speed, aperture, proper settings for various lenses, color temperature, light diffusion and myriad more technical factors that make a photo a photo. They also understand the convergence of digital and analog technologies and how they work in conjunction to capture something truly amazing.
If you’re on the fence about hiring a real photographer, consider what one of your photos would look like on a billboard. Would you spend thousands of dollars every month on a billboard using the image in mind? If not, don’t put it on your website. Pay an expert to get it right.
If you have some suggestions about helping people improve their photos, please share in the comments below. We appreciate your input.
3. Improve Your Website Structure
There’s a whole world of specialists dedicated to making websites better who unfortunately do not understand how to communicate complex ideas to those who don’t already live in their world. At Modernize My Site, we want to be different. We respect those that have been successful without learning geek speak or even becoming technologically savvy. In fact, we admire those who can do so much without ever relying on computing power to make it happen.
The following is a description of website structure that will make sense to even the most technologically challenged:
You Need Multiple Website Pages:
What people search for to find a company like yours should always inform your website’s structure.
People often approach a website from a most basic cost savings perspective. They preface a quote for a website with, “I want something as simple as possible. I don’t need the extra frills and stuff that makes it interesting. I just want basic information on one page and I want to spend about three to five hundred dollars.”
I hope this isn’t your perspective. If it is, please keep reading. I promise you will appreciate what I have to teach you.
Someone that immediately agrees to building a “simple one-page website” without warning a buyer of potential pitfalls is a hack. They likely crank out websites as fast as possible and don’t care about what happens after the fact. And that’s the rub- what happens to a one-page website after it’s been built.
Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo! are looking for specific website structure. As soon as I mention this in conversations, people automatically jump to, “You mean like keywords and stuff, right?”
Yes, but not really.
Keywords are a tiny sliver of the overall pie that makes a website a website. A much larger piece of the pie is page structure. Without copy and images separated into different pages and sections throughout your site, search engines get confused. Search engines are looking for special code that tells them what is most important in a page like specially coded titles and brief descriptions. The major problem with a one-page site is that you can only code each page with one special title, one special description, and a myriad of other specially coded things that make a page unique.
If you want to get found online for the products or services you sell, a single page site isn’t going to cut it.
If you want to be considered a subject matter expert, other experts will wipe the floor with you because search engines can only pick up a few critical things in a single page site.
Finally, if you’d like to be competitive at all, a one-page site will leave you dead in the water. It is appalling how many companies’ websites cannot be found in the top ten of search results even when searching for them by name.
To get your hands dirty and learn more about proper page structure, there are some experts you should follow.
*** WARNING ***
You enter this world at your own risk. These people speak a completely different language with more acronyms than you’ll ever understand. It takes years of practice and delving deep into different tools before anyone can fully understand search engine optimization (SEO). If you take your time and treat this as a learning opportunity, you’ll be better for it. Don’t be surprised if you have to open your digital dictionary to define all the new terms.
Rand Fishkin- He’s got style and a trainer’s heart that’s warm and fuzzy
Neil Patel- One of the most influential online marketers in the world
Use The Right Page Names:
Creative types like to use quirky naming conventions for pages. Instead of something intuitive and familiar like “Products,” they might decide on “Our Stuff” instead. Yes, the creative mind works in mysterious ways.
Users can’t stand this. When they’re searching for products, they need a page name that’s familiar. If they have to click all over to decipher what is where, they will quickly abandon the site and find someone who isn’t trying to be different.
More importantly, search engines don’t know what to display if your page names don’t make sense. They will avoid sharing the “Our Stuff” page results because people aren’t searching for “Our Stuff” online. Bottom line- don’t try naming pages until you’ve done keyword research. Replace the “Our Stuff” with a key term that gets tens or hundreds of thousands of searches if possible. This is where keyword research comes in to play.
A good example is a client’s website we’re currently in the process of building. They specialize in winemaking, and a small percentage of their business is in homebrew. They sell homebrew supplies and teach people how to make their own beer. For years, this company has not had a page of their website dedicated to homebrew, but Google suggests this is where their greatest potential lies. Check out what some quick research below revealed about how to properly structure their website.
Google suggests that nationally there are between 100,000 and 1,000,000 searches per month for the term “homebrew” using their search engine. There are more searches for “homebrew” than an other term they need to rank for. They absolutely need a page dedicated to homebrew with all the right structure.
Another interesting thing is that almost nobody searches for “winemaking.” “Winemaking” is the proper spelling, but everyone searches for it using two words, “wine making.” Our strong recommendation is that the client misspell the page title and any occurrence of the term throughout the page to get the traffic for it.
Include Enough Content Per Page:
Copy
If you are not a writer, HIRE A COPYWRITER. I cannot stress this enough. This is the largest pain point of our business.
Some of our clients will try to provide as little copy as possible. In some cases, one sentence per page. This is not acceptable. If you want to get found, write at least a few paragraphs per page. The best practice is 500 to 1,000 words for the homepage and a minimum of 300 words for each subsequent page.
Also, bulleted lists are lame. If every one of your pages is a bulleted list, you’re killing your ability to get found online. Just to clarify, it’s not a bad idea to include a bulleted list in a page, but relying on them as the only way to explain what you do is weak.
When search engines display search results, it’s because they’ve found what they deem most relevant and valuable to a searcher. Make sure each of your pages is chalk full of descriptors, details and important information that make it more likely for your page to appear first in search results. This takes quite a bit of time to get right. Unless you write on a consistent basis, HIRE A COPYWRITER.
Media
Mixing copy with professional photos, personal photos, videos, animated videos, or something like the nifty GIF above are all great ideas. Including at least one of these per page helps you rank better and keeps readers more engaged, but make sure you’re not junking up your site with terrible photos.
Special Touches After the Fact
It’s worth mentioning there’s a laundry list of tasks to complete after a well written website is created. Feel free to learn about metadata, snippets, alt text, etc. Explaining these things beyond a simple mention would take us down the other worldly SEO path too technical for the average website owner.
4. Improve Your Website Security
Add An SSL Certificate:
It may seem like a bit of an outlier, but security is now required as part of your website’s structure. Google forced security measures in the way of what’s called a Secure Sockets Layer Certificate (SSL). Without it, users might reach an all red screen with a warning “This site may harm your computer.” Needless to say, this is a scary proposition.
The “This site may harm your computer” warning has been reserved traditionally for sites asking for sensitive information. Like sites requesting login credentials, social security numbers or credit card information that do not already include an SSL certificate. The SSL certificate secures the connection between web servers and browsers so sneaky hackers can’t steal information being transferred between them.
You may not absolutely have to have an SSL certificate for now, but we highly recommend one (practically force every client to have one) regardless of what kind of information is exchanged through your site. It will help protect users’ data and put you at ease knowing there’s at least something in place. Besides, Google is officially penalizing websites for not having an SSL installed, so it’s kinda dumb not to have one.
Add Captcha to Your Forms:
The Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) helps to mitigate incessant SPAM to forms on your website. One version of CAPTCHA is that funny little box that has to be clicked when you fill out a form online. This helps to prevent bots (special tools used by hackers), from completing form after form after form on your website. When this happens abnormally fast in high volume, it can considerably slow down a server, and as a result, your website.
5. Make Sure the Website is Mobile Friendly
Mobile phone usage is reshaping the way we consume information. Smartphones today are to computers what computers were to books in the mid 90s. There are currently about 3 billion internet users worldwide, and in some countries, a smartphone is the only affordable way to access it. If your website is not mobile friendly, you’re already antiquated and should either give up, or make the shift immediately. Your competition has likely already made the shift to proper mobile website design, and visitors to your site using mobile devices are leaving it in droves.
84.3% of B2B buyers research a website before purchasing
We hear a lot of business owners say, “We sell only to other companies. We don’t need a better website because people aren’t buying from us based on our website.” That logic is self-defeating, and quite frankly, these business owners must live in a dark cave. A great article written by Lauren Kaye at Brafton Inc. more than three years ago suggests that 84.3% of B2B companies (businesses selling primarily to other businesses) were researching company websites before making a purchase. That was three years ago!
Mobile-friendly website:
If you think you don’t need a mobile friendly website, you obviously aren’t measuring your search traffic and- NEWS ALERT! – you can’t improve what you don’t measure.
According to StatCounter, searches from desktop computers and mobile devices in the US are virtually neck and neck with a small edge for mobile.
Device Atlas suggests that there are over 2.6 billion smartphone users worldwide
The most important stat to consider when making the decision about a mobile version of your website is shared by Greg Sterling (love the last name), contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. According to Mr. Sterling, about 56% of traffic to top US sites is coming from mobile devices. That’s right. More than half of all website searches are performed using mobile devices. If this information alone isn’t enough to change your mind, please go back into your cave.
People expect a great website experience when using large desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. They’re looking for something that’s properly formatted no matter the device they happen to be using.
There are many ways to build what’s been coined a “mobile friendly” website. The technical details can be daunting, so we will share visual representations. You’ll get the gist.
The five most common problems we see with mobile versions of websites
1. Tiny On A Smartphone
This is the biggie: websites meant only for full size computer screens. They appear tiny on smartphones. These websites require that you zoom in and out by pinching or stretching two fingers simultaneously. It means no effort was ever put toward making the website mobile friendly.
2. Huge On A Smartphone
Some websites are too big on a smartphone and you have to swipe all around the screen to move the website into a position that will somehow work. The page typically cannot be sized by pinching or stretching with your fingers. It’s massive and unwieldy. Again, the developer never tried to offer a better mobile experience.
3. Just Buttons That Are Ugly
Many mobile versions of websites are literally just buttons. Nothing branded, no images, nothing even slightly interesting. Essentially, the company has two different websites; one for larger screens and the mobile version for all other screen sizes.
4. Giant Buttons On Tablet:
Having a mobile version of a website that’s all about buttons poses yet another problem. When using a tablet, all you see is a bunch of giant buttons formatted for phones. Sometimes they’re designed to span the entire width of the page. It’s really ugly and obviously not well thought out.
5. A Site That’s Separate On Mobile:
Many mobile websites use a second domain that’s separate from their full size counterparts (e.g.: www.abccompany.com vs. m.abccompany.com). Instead of driving all traffic to a single website, all work is doubled to maintain two completely different versions of a website.
Responsive Design Is Best For All Devices
Responsive design ensures your website- and only one version of it– will automatically change and adapt to all devices. During the development process, certain elements can be configured to collapse, hide, be turned off or react differently based on the screen size of the device accessing the site.
In the examples below, you’ll notice that we’ve tweaked some things based on what type of device people are searching from. Why? Because mobile networks tend to be slower and using them means it takes longer to load things like videos and animations.
One cool thing to note is the parallax effect. When moving the cursor on a full size screen, the coffee background image shifts side-to-side. This translates well to mobile devices because the same gyroscopeor accelerometer (think about those games where you navigate a BB through a maze) that determines screen orientation also moves the image side-to-side on a tablet or smartphone.
When accessing our website from a full size laptop screen, the site includes:
Several animations where elements of the page move or fade in from the sides or the bottom as you scroll
Hovering animations that react to a hovering cursor
6. Transition to a Modern Look and Feel
We evaluate thousands of websites every year, and from a style perspective, there’s a list of things we suggest changing. A list of things we constantly see:
A static site with nothing that moves, shifts or does anything remotely interesting visually
A boxed design where all content is stuck between the borders of a narrow column on each page
A template where all pages look and feel almost exactly the same with little to no difference between them
Basically, the majority of older websites are boring. They’re dull. They struggle to keep visitors clicking through.
So, what’s in store for those looking to take the leap to something new?
Animations
Animations are a great way to keep visitors intrigued and wanting to click through to the next page. Whether page elements slide in from the side, fade in from the bottom or flip around when you hover, animations can change the entire look and feel of a website. Something that’s static and stale can quickly become fun, slick or elegant with a little movement.
As you consider whether or not to include movement throughout your site, it’s important to understand your audience. You might personally love how things shift around, but some users (especially the older generation) find it nauseating. Case in point is a client of ours, Darlene Avery with All Life Long Counseling and Consulting, that helps people with end of life care. Many of her clients suffer from debilitating disorders that are easily exacerbated by too much visual stimulation. Her site includes very little movement whatsoever.
It’s also important to understand how animations effect load times. If it takes too long for a page element to animate, visitors may find the site archaic and prefer to move on. Striking a balance of animation delay is important.
Parallax
Like animations, parallax is a bit of a love/hate effect. Parallax makes background images scroll at a rate different than the rest of the page. It’s difficult to describe, so check out the parallax on Chief Petroleum’s website https://www.chiefpetroleum.com/
You very quickly either loved or hated what you just saw. Take it or leave it, parallax has become very popular and it’s here to stay.
One drawback to parallax is that some browser/hardware combinations don’t handle it well. Instead of a smooth scrolling effect, you get something choppy and strange. Keep this in mind as you make your final decision about a design.
Video
Video is dominating the way people consume content. If you’re doing nothing with video, you need to start somewhere and your website is a great place to do it. These stats from Insivia’s January 2017 article are mind blowing:
By 2017, online video will account for 74% of all online traffic (KPCB).
55% of people watch videos online every day (MWP).
Including video in a landing page can increase conversion by 80% (EyeView).
Online shoppers who view demo videos are 1.81x more likely to purchase than non-viewers (DMB Adobe).
Nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer video under 60 seconds (Animoto).
People spend on average 2.6x more time on pages with video than without (Wistia).
***There are 21 more stats from this article that are well worth checking out***
People tend to get caught up in the production details of a solid video. It’s true that a high-end, polished video can be an amazing asset, but it’s not required. If you have a decent smartphone and no budget, just create something. Purchase a tripod for your phone, record something interesting, use some free video editing software to trim things up and upload the video to a YouTube account. From YouTube, your video can be shared all over the internet, including embedding it in your website.
Some pointers:
Make sure whatever you’re filming is well lit
Eliminate background noise
Check to make sure it’s loud enough (If it’s not, you can sometimes fix the loudness in your video editing software)
The most intuitive and free editing software on PC is Windows Movie Maker. iMovie is the best free option for Mac.
Not sure how to get started editing? YouTube is a fantastic resource with hours and hours of tutorials.
Music
If you’ve ever visited a website that scares you with blaring sound, you’ll understand why we choose to keep our own silent. Music and other sounds can be fun, but human behavior is to immediately mute something we aren’t expecting.
If you’d like to include sound somewhere in your site, make the audible experience optional. If someone wants to listen, offer options to play, pause and stop the sound at will. It’s important to include these options for videos as well.
Different Shapes
Have you ever considered, in its simplest form, the design of a website? What shape is repeated over and over again? What shape is the device you’re reading this blog post from?
Rectangles everywhere!
As someone who’s only a little creative, this can get frustrating. Rectangles on rectangles on rectangles are lame. Use other shapes throughout your site to break up the monotony. Circles, ovals, and diamonds are the most common alternative shapes to use.
There’s also science behind the idea of rounded corners. The human brain takes extra time to decipher the points of shapes with sharp corners. When sharp corners are replaced with a rounded look, the mind doesn’t require as much computing power to process the overall shape.
Different Layouts
For a long time, websites were very predictable. Most maintained the same boring layout. They were boxed so they didn’t span the entire page and left large gaps to the left and right of content on each page. They all had rectangular buttons for menus across the top. Most pages looked exactly the same no matter the subject matter.
If you’re looking for something radical and new, the CSS Winner website is a great place to start. CSS Winner evaluates and awards designs for being the best of the best. Be aware that many of these sites are resource intensive. If your internet speeds or computer do not meet the minimum specifications for displaying things properly, you will have a frustrating experience.
The Price Of Something Too Complex
Many of our clients do not understand the true cost of more advanced features. Not just complex coding, but filming, editing, graphic design, etc. Most of these sites are built by college students honing their skills and using ultra powerful tools to develop animated environments.
The cost for these types of features adds up very quickly. Many of which could rack up a $20,000 charge or more. How many small business owners do you know who possess a $20,000 website?
The opportunity cost of an intense website is also something important to consider. If you visited some of the more complicated CSS Winner sites at the link above, you found they were pushing your computer to its limit. Your computer got hot and your fan shifted into high gear. This could be a real problem if the potential buyers visiting your website aren’t using the right hardware or their internet connection is slow. Page elements take too long to load and certain functions just aren’t performed properly. Users will leave your site as soon as things don’t function as expected. What’s it worth to lose potential customers visiting a website that’s too complex?
There is a happy middle ground. You can have a great looking website with tons of bells and whistles… without the high price tag. Animations are a great way to keep visitors intrigued and wanting to click through to the next page. Whether page elements slide in from the side, fade in from the bottom or flip around when you hover, animations can change the entire look and feel of a website. Something that’s static and stale can quickly become fun, slick or elegant with a little movement.
As you consider whether or not to include movement throughout your site, it’s important to understand your audience. You might personally love how things shift around, but some users (especially the older generation) find it nauseating. Case in point is a client of ours, Darlene Avery with All Life Long Counseling and Consulting, that helps people with end of life care. Many of her clients suffer from debilitating disorders that are easily exacerbated by too much visual stimulation. Her site includes very little movement whatsoever.
It’s also important to understand how animations effect load times. If it takes too long for a page element to animate, visitors may find the site archaic and prefer to move on. Striking a balance of animation delay is importan
We evaluate thousands of websites every year, and from a style perspective, there’s a list of things we suggest changing. A list of things we constantly see:
A static site with nothing that moves, shifts or does anything remotely interesting visually
A boxed design where all content is stuck between the borders of a narrow column on each page
A template where all pages look and feel almost exactly the same with little to no difference between them
Basically, the majority of older websites are boring. They’re dull. They struggle to keep visitors clicking through.
So, what’s in store for those looking to take the leap to something new?
Animations
Animations are a great way to keep visitors intrigued and wanting to click through to the next page. Whether page elements slide in from the side, fade in from the bottom or flip around when you hover, animations can change the entire look and feel of a website. Something that’s static and stale can quickly become fun, slick or elegant with a little movement.
As you consider whether or not to include movement throughout your site, it’s important to understand your audience. You might personally love how things shift around, but some users (especially the older generation) find it nauseating. Case in point is a client of ours, Darlene Avery with All Life Long Counseling and Consulting, that helps people with end of life care. Many of her clients suffer from debilitating disorders that are easily exacerbated by too much visual stimulation. Her site includes very little movement whatsoever.
It’s also important to understand how animations effect load times. If it takes too long for a page element to animate, visitors may find the site archaic and prefer to move on. Striking a balance of animation delay is important.
Parallax
Like animations, parallax is a bit of a love/hate effect. Parallax makes background images scroll at a rate different than the rest of the page. It’s difficult to describe, so check out the parallax on Chief Petroleum’s website https://www.chiefpetroleum.com/
You very quickly either loved or hated what you just saw. Take it or leave it, parallax has become very popular and it’s here to stay.
One drawback to parallax is that some browser/hardware combinations don’t handle it well. Instead of a smooth scrolling effect, you get something choppy and strange. Keep this in mind as you make your final decision about a design.
Video
Video is dominating the way people consume content. If you’re doing nothing with video, you need to start somewhere and your website is a great place to do it. These stats from Insivia’s January 2017 article are mind blowing:
By 2017, online video will account for 74% of all online traffic (KPCB).
55% of people watch videos online every day (MWP).
Including video in a landing page can increase conversion by 80% (EyeView).
Nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer video under 60 seconds (Animoto).
People spend on average 2.6x more time on pages with video than without (Wistia).
***There are 21 more stats from this article that are well worth checking out***
People tend to get caught up in the production details of a solid video. It’s true that a high-end, polished video can be an amazing asset, but it’s not required. If you have a decent smartphone and no budget, just create something. Purchase a tripod for your phone, record something interesting, use some free video editing software to trim things up and upload the video to a YouTube account. From YouTube, your video can be shared all over the internet, including embedding it in your website.
Some pointers:
Make sure whatever you’re filming is well lit
Eliminate background noise
Check to make sure it’s loud enough (If it’s not, you can sometimes fix the loudness in your video editing software)
The most intuitive and free editing software on PC is Windows Movie Maker. iMovie is the best free option for Mac.
Not sure how to get started editing? YouTube is a fantastic resource with hours and hours of tutorials.
Music
If you’ve ever visited a website that scares you with blaring sound, you’ll understand why we choose to keep our own silent. Music and other sounds can be fun, but human behavior is to immediately mute something we aren’t expecting.
If you’d like to include sound somewhere in your site, make the audible experience optional. If someone wants to listen, offer options to play, pause and stop the sound at will. It’s important to include these options for videos as well.
Different Shapes
Have you ever considered, in its simplest form, the design of a website? What shape is repeated over and over again? What shape is the device you’re reading this blog post from?
Rectangles everywhere!
As someone who’s only a little creative, this can get frustrating. Rectangles on rectangles on rectangles are lame. Use other shapes throughout your site to break up the monotony. Circles, ovals, and diamonds are the most common alternative shapes to use.
There’s also science behind the idea of rounded corners. The human brain takes extra time to decipher the points of shapes with sharp corners. When sharp corners are replaced with a rounded look, the mind doesn’t require as much computing power to process the overall shape.
Different Layouts
For a long time, websites were very predictable. Most maintained the same boring layout. They were boxed so they didn’t span the entire page and left large gaps to the left and right of content on each page. They all had rectangular buttons for menus across the top. Most pages looked exactly the same no matter the subject matter.
If you’re looking for something radical and new, the CSS Winner website is a great place to start. CSS Winner evaluates and awards designs for being the best of the best. Be aware that many of these sites are resource intensive. If your internet speeds or computer do not meet the minimum specifications for displaying things properly, you will have a frustrating experience.
The Price of Something Too Complex
Many of our clients do not understand the true cost of more advanced features. Not just complex coding, but filming, editing, graphic design, etc. Most of these sites are built by college students honing their skills and using ultra powerful tools to develop animated environments.
The cost for these types of features adds up very quickly. Many of which could rack up a $20,000 charge or more. How many small business owners do you know who possess a $20,000 website?
The opportunity cost of an intense website is also something important to consider. If you visited some of the more complicated CSS Winner sites at the link above, you found they were pushing your computer to its limit. Your computer got hot and your fan shifted into high gear. This could be a real problem if the potential buyers visiting your website aren’t using the right hardware or their internet connection is slow. Page elements take too long to load and certain functions just aren’t performed properly. Users will leave your site as soon as things don’t function as expected. What’s it worth to lose potential customers visiting a website that’s too complex?
There is a happy middle ground. You can have a great looking website with tons of bells and whistles… without the high price tag.
All of the blogs in this series are important, but adjusting your site to function well on mobile devices is something you should have done yesterday. Don’t waste time thinking about the problem- contact us now to fix it!
The Case for Mobile Website Design
Mobile phone usage is reshaping the way we consume information. Smartphones today are to computers what computers were to books in the mid 90s. There are currently about 3 billion internet users worldwide, and in some countries, a smartphone is the only affordable way to access it. If your website is not mobile friendly, you’re already antiquated and should either give up, or make the shift immediately. Your competition has likely already made the shift to proper mobile website design, and visitors to your site using mobile devices are leaving it in droves.
We hear a lot of business owners say, “We sell only to other companies. We don’t need a better website because people aren’t buying from us based on our website.” That logic is self-defeating, and quite frankly, these business owners must live in a dark cave. A great article written by Lauren Kaye at Brafton Inc. more than two years ago suggests that 84.3% of B2B companies (businesses selling primarily to other businesses) were researching company websites before making a purchase. That was two years ago!
Full Page Websites Aren’t Enough
If you think you don’t need a mobile friendly website, you obviously aren’t measuring your search traffic and- NEWS ALERT! – you can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Device Atlas suggests that there are over 2.6 billion smartphone users worldwide
The most important stat to consider when making the decision about a mobile version of your website is shared by Greg Sterling (love the last name), contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. According to Mr. Sterling, about 56% of traffic to top US sites is coming from mobile devices. That’s right. More than half of all website searches are performed using mobile devices. If this information alone isn’t enough to change your mind, please go back into your cave.
People expect a great website experience when using large desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. They’re looking for something that’s properly formatted no matter the device they happen to be using.
There are many ways to build what’s been coined a “mobile friendly” website. The technical details can be daunting, so we will share visual representations. You’ll get the gist.
The five most common problems we see with mobile versions of websites:
1) Tiny on a smartphone
This is the biggie: websites meant only for full size computer screens. They appear tiny on smartphones. These websites require that you zoom in and out by pinching or stretching two fingers simultaneously. It means no effort was ever put toward making the website mobile friendly.
2) Huge on a smartphone
Some websites are too big on a smartphone and you have to swipe all around the screen to move the website into a position that will somehow work. The page typically cannot be sized by pinching or stretching with your fingers. It’s massive and unwieldy. Again, the developer never tried to offer a better mobile experience.
3) Just buttons that are ugly
Many mobile versions of websites are literally just buttons. Nothing branded, no images, nothing even slightly interesting. Essentially, the company has two different websites; one for larger screens and the mobile version for all other screen sizes.
4) Giant buttons that are ugly on tablets- Having a mobile version of a website that’s all about buttons poses yet another problem. When using a tablet, all you see is a bunch of giant buttons formatted for phones. Sometimes they’re designed to span the entire width of the page. It’s really ugly and obviously not well thought out.
5) A separate mobile site- Many mobile websites use a second domain that’s separate from their full size counterparts (e.g.: www.abccompany.com vs. m.abccompany.com). Instead of driving all traffic to a single website, all work is doubled to maintain two completely different versions of a website.
Responsive Design is Best for All Devices
Responsive design ensures your website- and only one version of it– will automatically change and adapt to all devices. During the development process, certain elements can be configured to collapse, hide, be turned off or react differently based on the screen size of the device accessing the site.
In the examples below, you’ll notice that we’ve tweaked some things based on what type of device people are searching from. Why? Because mobile networks tend to be slower and using them means it takes longer to load things like videos and animations.
One cool thing to note is the parallax effect. When moving the cursor on a full size screen, the coffee background image shifts side-to-side. This translates well to mobile devices because the same gyroscopeor accelerometer (think about those games where you navigate a BB through a maze) that determines screen orientation also moves the image side-to-side on a tablet or smartphone.
When accessing our website from a full size laptop screen, the site includes:
A video right up front that automatically plays
Several animations where elements of the page move or fade in from the sides or the bottom as you scroll
Hovering animations that react to a hovering cursor
Accessing the website from a tablet is a bit different:
The video is turned off, but the words over the top of the video still appear
All of the more intense animations are turned off, but the animation of the client sites section at the bottom stays in tact because it’s subtle and occurs very quickly
When viewing the website from a smartphone there’s one major difference:
The video at the top is replaced altogether with an image that fits the space better and loads much faster
Remember, this one website was configured to function different ways depending on the device accessing it. If your site struggles in any of these areas, what are you waiting for? Contact us now at 719-377-2120 or [email protected].
This blog about basic website structure is second in a series of five. If you’re looking for advice about where to improve your existing website, or you need some pointers for how a new site should function, you’ll want to read all five.
There’s a whole world of specialists dedicated to making websites better who unfortunately do not understand how to communicate complex ideas to those who don’t already live in their world. We want to be different. We respect those that have been successful without learning geek speak or even becoming technologically savvy. In fact, we admire those who can do so much without ever relying on computing power to make it happen. We trust you’ll enjoy this post about basic structural components of a website.
You Need Multiple Website Pages
People often approach a website from a most basic cost savings perspective. They preface a quote for a website with, “I want something as simple as possible. I don’t need the extra frills and stuff that makes it interesting. I just want basic information on one page and I want to spend about three to five hundred dollars.”
I hope this isn’t your perspective. If it is, please keep reading. I promise you will appreciate what I have to teach you.
Someone that immediately agrees to building a “simple one-page website” without warning a buyer of potential pitfalls is a hack. They likely crank out websites as fast as possible and don’t care about what happens after the fact. And that’s the rub- what happens to a one-page website after it’s been built.
Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo! are looking for specific website structure. As soon as I mention this is conversations, people automatically jump to, “You mean like keywords and stuff, right?”
Yes, but not really.
Keywords are a tiny sliver of the overall pie that makes a website a website. A much larger piece of the pie is page structure. Without copy and images separated into different pages and sections throughout your site, search engines get confused. Search engines are looking for special code that tells them what is most important in a page like specially coded titles and brief descriptions. The major problem with a one-page site is that you can only code each page with one special title, one special description, and a myriad of other specially coded things that make a page unique.
If you have different products and/or services you’d like people to find you online for, a single page site isn’t going to cut it.
If you want to be considered a subject matter expert, other experts will wipe the floor with you because search engines can only pick up a few critical things in a single page site.
Finally, if you’d like to be competitive at all, a one-page site will leave you dead in the water. It is appalling how many companies’ websites cannot be found in the top ten of search results even when searching for them by name.
To get your hands dirty and learn more about proper page structure, there are some experts you should follow.
*** WARNING ***
You enter this world at your own risk. These people speak a completely different language with more acronyms than you’ll ever understand. If you take your time and treat this as a learning opportunity, you’ll be better for it. Don’t be surprised if you have to open your digital dictionary to define all the new terms.
Creative types like to use quirky naming conventions for pages. Instead of something intuitive and familiar like “Products,” they might decide on “Our Stuff” instead. Yes, the creative mind works in mysterious ways.
Users can’t stand this. When they’re searching for products, they need a page name that’s familiar. If they have to click all over to decipher what is where, they will quickly abandon the site and find someone who isn’t trying to be different.
More importantly, search engines don’t know what to display if your page names don’t make sense. They will avoid sharing the “Our Stuff” page results because people aren’t searching for “Our Stuff” online. Bottom line, use page names that are universally understood.
Include Enough Content Per Page
Copy
If you are not a writer, HIRE A COPYWRITER. I cannot stress this enough. This is the largest pain point of our business.
Some of our clients will try to provide as little copy as possible. In some cases, one sentence per page. This is not acceptable. If you want to get found, write at least a few paragraphs per page.
When search engines display search results, it’s because they’ve found what they deem most relevant and valuable to a searcher. Make sure each of your pages is chalk full of descriptors, details and important information that make it more likely for your page to appear first in search results. This takes quite a bit of time to get right. Unless you write on a consistent basis, HIRE A COPYWRITER.
Media
Mixing copy with professional photos, personal photos, videos, animated videos, are all great ideas. Including at least one of these per page helps you rank better and keeps readers more engaged, but please read our first blog in this series to ensure you’re not junking up your site with terrible photos.
Security May Be Required
It may seem like a bit of an outlier, but security could be required as part of your website’s structure. There’s a rumor going around that Google may force security measures in the way of what’s called a Secure Socket Layer Certificate (SSL) on all sites in 2017. Without it, users might reach an all red screen with a warning “This site may harm your computer.” Needless to say, this is a scary proposition.
The “This site may harm your computer” warning has been reserved traditionally for sites asking for sensitive information. Like sites requesting login credentials, social security numbers or credit card information that do not already include an SSL certificate. The SSL certificate secures the connection between web servers and browsers so sneaky hackers can’t steal information being transferred between them.
You may not absolutely have to have an SSL certificate for now, but we highly recommend one regardless of what kind of information is exchanged through your site. It will help protect users’ data and put you at ease knowing there’s at least something in place.
Can you think of other minimal requirements for a website that you’d like to share?