Tips on how to optimise and structure a website

Are Customers Getting Stuck in Your Web?

Just about every business these days has a website in some form, yet so few of them actually do what they are supposed to, and that is to generate new business and communicate the right message. So many websites are difficult to navigate around, impossible to find in the search engines and look tired and dated.

I’ll concentrate on three things you can get done to help make your site work harder for you:

• Get it listed in the search engines for the right phrases
• Get the content right
• Make it easy for all visitors to use
  

Listing in the search engines
The practice of getting websites listed in the search engines for relevant key-phrases is called Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O for short). The aim is to get a website listed in the top ten of Google, Yahoo & Co. when someone types something relevant. In our case most people aren’t going to know we are called Sloomedia, but if they’re looking to get a website done then chances are something like "Web Design Nottingham" will be typed in.

In order to list in good positions in the search engines your content needs to be mentioning the keywords people are likely to be typing in. So many sites don’t actually mention what it is their company does, it’s all implied or as part of images and logos which the search engines can’t understand.

A good way to check what the search engines see is this little tool which gives a rough idea of how they see your site :

http://www.delorie.com/web/ses.cgi

At the moment there are a few companies employing telesales tactics promising to get sites listed in Google in a few weeks for a small monthly fee. I would advise that they be avoided. Anyone can get a site into Google in 48 hours but for it to actually list for the type of results these companies are promising often takes between 3-12 months and is a large amount of work for a company like ours. Get the advice of an expert before you agree to anything.

Getting Your Content Right
Content is often the last thought of piece of the web jigsaw and generally gets left behind. The content needs to be short and to the point. Most people don’t like reading things on screen at the best of times so keep it to 2-400 words on the page and use bullets and spacing to break it up. If you need to add more detailed information then put it as a separate page or as a download so those who are looking for the detail can find it.

Always mention exactly what it is you’re talking about rather than implying it, this allows the search engines to pick it up more effectively. A good example would be:
"Our company can do the job."
Would become
"Our web design company can do the job."
It doesn’t always make for the best English but it means that Google will now know what type of company you are!

Make sure the site has been designed so the text is as easy on the eye as possible, if it’s hard to read, it won’t be read.

Always keep content as fresh as possible, don’t let it sit and go stale as both the user and the search engines will be un-impressed. Sites that are continually updated get small boosts in their search engine rankings.


Make your site easy to use
So many sites are difficult to navigate around, if a user can’t find their way around then they are going to leave without finding what they want.
Make buttons and menus clear and in the same place on each page.
Always make it obvious how to get in touch, either with a clear "contact us" button or the telephone number on every page.

For a site to be easy to use it has to load quickly. Roughly 40-50% of UK internet users are still using dial-up modems to connect to the internet and that restricts them to around 5-6 Kilobytes download speed. I would always advise for the home page to be under 50k so that it takes a maximum of ten seconds to load. This isn’t always possible but if a home page is over 100K it’s really pushing it as people get bored very quickly on the web.

If a site has been well structured it will not only be easy and fast for the user to use, but should allow the search engines to navigate it more effectively. The easier Google can get around the site, the better.


If you follow these guidelines when looking to get your website done, chances are that the site will become a profitable investment rather than a dead duck.



Hugh Newsome is the managing director of Sloomedia Limited based in Hucknall. He has been building websites for 7 years and prior to setting up Sloomedia in February 2004 he was head of web development for Digital Junction Australia in Perth.