Time To Clean Your Website

It’s time for some website cleaning!

And no, we don’t mean cleaning out the hall closet that holds your Aunt Mildred’s old, moth-eaten coats. We intend to help you spring clean your business’ website! As you well know from our previous articles, the internet and its users’ demands change at an incredibly rapid pace. Because of this, it is extremely important for your website to be in tip-top shape, especially during your business’ peak season(s).

We recommend that your site is updated at least every 6 months to 1 year, that way the information provided is relevant and fresh-looking! Keep reading to discover how to sweep away the cobwebs from your site.

First and foremost, focus on the design of your website. Do the style and layout scream excitement or boredom? Are the buttons and links functional? Is the site easy to navigate, or is the back button being overused? Are the pictures up-to-date, or are your spokesmodels sporting mullets? These are important aspects that your users will be gauging your relevancy on. Also, be sure to focus on the CONTENT of your site. For example, be proactive about updating products and services as they change to reduce any confusion about current offerings. If you have a blog, be sure to update it at least once a week to convey current promotions, business updates, and new and exciting topics that your readers will be interested in learning about.

Here’s a list of “GOOD website” features

  • Text
    • The background does not interrupt the text
    • Text is big enough to read, but not too big
    • The hierarchy of information is perfectly clear
    • Columns of text are narrower than in a book to make reading easier on the screen
  • Navigation
    • Navigation buttons and bars are easy to understand and use
    • Navigation is consistent throughout your website
    • Navigation buttons and bars provide the visitor with a clue as to where they are, what page of the site they are currently on
    • Frames, if used, are not obtrusive
    • A large site has an index or site map
  • Links
    • Link colors coordinate with page colors
    • Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor
  • Graphics
    • Buttons are not big and dorky
    • Every graphic has an alt label
    • Every graphic link has a matching text link
    • Graphics and backgrounds use browser-safe colors
    • Animated graphics turn off by themselves
  • General Design
    • Pages download quickly
    • All of the other pages have an immediate visual impact within 800 x 600 pixels
    • Good use of graphic elements (photos, subheads, pull quotes) to break up large areas of text
    • Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to the same site; there are repetitive elements that carry throughout the pages

If you follow the above advice, your website will be in tip-top shape in no time! Happy Spring cleaning!

If you would like to have your social media presence reviewed for free, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today!

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