Website Optimization:
Let’s have an in-depth look at what exactly is Website Optimization, the benefits of Website Optimization and some easy tips on how to improve your Websites Optimization.
What is Website Optimization?
Website Optimization is the process of compacting and improving the delivery of your website through the use of several SEO techniques. Specific strategies are implemented to increase the overall user experience of your website as having a better user experience will in turn increase your website’s traffic and grow your revenue.
Why do you need Website Optimization?
On average 47% of users expect a website to load in less than 2 seconds. And an average of 40% of consumers will leave a website if it does not load within 3 seconds.
If your website is not optimized it will take longer than 3 seconds to load and you are losing 40% of your potential customers before they have even seen your website or products.
What are the benefits of Website Optimization?
User Experience and Interface:
A website that is optimized is a website that is easily accessible and convenient for your user to use. Once a website is optimized it will fit onto any screen size and load within 3 seconds.
An optimized website also makes use of your data analytics and AB testing to custom design your website to suit your target audience’s taste. Having a website that has insight into its target audience is a website that is making sales!
Removing Errors and Unauthorized Links:
With proper optimization, a website will have no errors and all unauthorized backlinks will be removed from your website for example having fake reviews. Why is this important? When Google reviews your website if it discovers unauthorized links or unrelated links on your website it will lower your website link because you are seen as untrustworthy. An untrustworthy website will rank poorly on search results and will lose authority with Google.
Aligning your website with SEO guidelines:
SEO is, in simple terms, the process of improving your website in various ways to increase its visibility in search results. Optimizing your website falls into SEO as it is one of the ways you can increase your SEO scores. Optimizing your website allows you to see it like a visitor sees it and makes use of Keyword Integration. These two form the base principles for SEO.
Stay ahead of the Competition:
An optimized website will rank higher on search engine results pages. Why? Search engines look out for their customers and their customers are the ones conducting the searches online. If your website is not the best website to satisfy the user then your website will be ranked down. Search engines need to keep people using them to be successful therefore they need to find the websites that best satisfy their customer’s needs. An optimized website loads faster are easy to use and understand, has good reviews from customers and is more trustworthy with fewer backlinks, therefore, search engines are more likely to recommend your website to their customers.
Higher Adaptability:
An optimized website can adapt to fit any screen size without lowering the quality of the website. In 2019, 42% of the world’s population was using their mobile devices to conduct online searches, and in the USA half of all organic searches were done using mobile devices. If your website is not able to adapt to fit on smaller screens you are missing out on 40% of new potential customers.
Here are some quick tips to improve your Website’s Optimization:
User Experience and Interface:
First, make sure your website is adaptable and can adapt to fit any screen size. Second, ensure that your content is useful and relevant to your target audience. Thirdly your design should be engaging and encourage your audience to interact with the website, such as through call-to-action buttons in the correct places. And finally ensure your website is easy to navigate, if your website is too complicated to understand customers will simply leave.
Becoming more SEO friendly:
Check for status code errors and correct them. Make sure your site is indexing correctly with Google by using Google Search Console. Fix any broken links (these are a big no-no for Google) and audit your website’s content to ensure your website is relevant to your business. And lastly, check that your keywords on your website align with your business’s products or services. With these easy checks, your website can become more SEO friendly.
Ensuring your Website fits on multiple devices:
There are simple things you can do such as using a larger font to ensure it will be seen on smaller screens, prioritizing speed over aesthetics, having a simple design and flow. Also, make sure it is easy for your visitors to find what they are looking for, a website’s navigation and site map need to be user-friendly. However, what we recommend is to create an AMP (Accelerated Mobile Page).
Why do we recommend an AMP?
Accelerated mobile pages are specifically designed to load quickly on mobile devices. They also have higher ad visibility, improved server performance, lower bounce rates and have higher conversion rates than normal websites on mobile devices. This is why we at Web Anatomy recommend AMP’s to our clients to reach their business’s full potential. Especially for new businesses that have not yet built a website, why not start with the added advantage of being mobile-friendly?
In 2022 we foresee a higher percentage of consumers resorting to mobile devices to research before making a purchase. With today’s fast-paced society and mobile devices becoming more compact, lightweight and advanced, desktops will soon fall aside as the most used device. It is estimated that in 2022, 7.2 billion people will be using mobile devices. Therefore having a mobile-friendly website will be key to staying ahead of the competition.