10 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE

 Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Website

Are you looking to improve your website? If so, there are several easy steps you can take to ensure that it’s as great as it can be. Here are the top 10 tips to improve your website from the user’s point of view, whether you’re using WordPress or any other CMS (content management system).

1) Having a clear call-to-action

When you’re creating a landing page, one of your primary goals is to get people to do something — whether that’s join your email list, buy a product or fill out a form. One way to encourage them to take that action is by using persuasive and persuasive language in your copy. For example, if you want someone to give you their email address, ask for it directly; rather than hoping they will volunteer it because they have an interest in what you have offer. Instead of Would You Like Our Newsletter? Sign Up Below, simply ask Get our newsletter! A much more direct call-to-action like that gives visitors no room for confusion.

2) Optimizing your website speed

As you know, speed is becoming one of the most important ranking factors for a website. Google wants users to have a good experience, which includes loading a site in 2 seconds or less. No matter what they say publicly, they care about user experience (UX) and if it’s not a pleasant one, they won’t rank you as highly. If your website loads slow enough, people might leave without clicking anything else on your page. The cost of frustrated users and lost revenue can be staggering so try using GTMetrix and YSlow to get an idea of how well your site is doing against other sites that are out there. Find out how many requests per second your server handles and make sure images are optimized.

3) Structure your website content for conversions

Users don’t want to scan your content—they want it laid out so they can find what they’re looking for quickly. Use headers and sub headers to break up lengthy text, creating sections with one, two or three sentences each. Use bullet points or numbered lists whenever possible to make information easier to read and digest. Also, try leaving some white space between paragraphs—this will help visitors focus on what you’re saying, instead of how you’re saying it. Remember that web surfers are time-crunched and impatient; most users will only spend a few seconds scanning your content before deciding whether or not they need further information from you.

4) Choosing the right images

While you’re focusing on optimizing your content, don’t forget to optimize your visual elements, too. When possible, choose high-quality images over low-resolution ones. It might seem obvious but: bigger is better! Choose images that complement your text instead of taking away from it. And while there’s no magic formula for striking a balance between visuals and text, you can check out best practices here .

5) Adding social proof (e.g. testimonials, numbers)

It’s one thing for you to say that your widget is awesome, but it’s another thing for someone else—and more importantly, someone impartial—to say it. Testimonials, reviews and case studies provide social proof that your product or service is worth a potential buyer’s time and money. Be sure to include actual quotes from satisfied customers in your site copy. If you don’t have any reviews yet, don’t worry; just be upfront about that. In other words, acknowledge that there aren't many reviews yet, but you will be adding them shortly (and ask customers who buy from you to leave their feedback). Adding social proof of any kind makes visitors more confident in your business than they would be otherwise.

6) Making it easy for people to contact you (e.g. Contact page, Call-to-action buttons on home page/product pages, Email newsletters with links to blog posts or landing pages, etc.)

If you're trying to boost your conversion rate, one of your biggest opportunities is boosting customer satisfaction. If a visitor knows how and where they can get in touch with you, they'll be more likely to do so when they have a question or need help. And, if you're able to make it easy for them—with clear contact options (like an email newsletter or Call-to-action buttons)—they'll feel even more satisfied that their questions have been answered or problem solved. Don't leave visitors guessing about how and where they can get in touch with you; give them options and make sure those options are easy for people to find and use!

7) Creating video content

Every minute spent creating videos can save you $10 in paid marketing costs later. If you’re a business that depends on customer trust and word-of-mouth, video is one of your best free marketing tools. Creating short but informative videos will allow users to get to know you better. Since many people like watching videos, they’ll be more likely to stick around after watching your video. The combination of reading your content and watching your video will give visitors a deeper understanding of who you are and what problem you solve for them.

8) Segmenting your audience into interest groups and customizing websites for them

So you've got a new website but how do you get traffic to it? Well, one way is through audience segmentation. For example, if your business is car rentals, you'd want to add pages that cater to travelers visiting certain regions of the country, like California or Colorado. The more interest groups you can get on your site—like those interested in rental cars for destination weddings—the better chance you have of generating leads and potentially making sales. The secret here is in customizing individual web pages so they actually appeal to certain interests. This might take some time upfront but will prove useful in generating leads that convert over time.

9) Adding social media sharing buttons (Facebook Open Graph Protocol, Twitter Cards, Google Plus One Share Button)

This is probably the easiest thing you can do for your website. When people are reading your content, it’s helpful if they can easily share it on their social networks. The most important step is to add sharing buttons only after a user has read your content and has not just simply previewed a headline from Google or another search engine. A smart way of doing that would be adding buttons at the end of every post where people will be more likely read all of your material before getting bored and clicking away.

10) Doing A/B testing with different website elements

As you're building out your website, make sure you're looking at what works and what doesn't. The easiest way to do so is by doing A/B testing with different website elements like headers or calls-to-action. If one option has a higher click-through rate, for example, then it should be used on your site. These tests may seem minor in isolation but over time they add up and improve user experience which ultimately converts more visitors into paying customers.