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Is it time for a website refresh?

04/19/202309/05/2022 by scmarketing

At the centre of your digital world is your website, but so often we hear that websites are difficult to navigate and visitors leave all too quickly before any action is taken.

Ideally a website should be updated every 2-3 years. If not, you could be missing out on new customers and important technical updates.

If your website is not up to date you will lose out on people searching for your business online as your site is unlikely to be optimised for local search. Plus, it’s unlikely to look professional if it’s that old – websites like any other fashion trends have ebs and flows and what may have looked good a few years back is definitely in need of an update.

So, is it time for a website refresh?

Here’s our top tips for a review of your current website to understand what you need to consider for creating a quality website that will be found in search engine results pages.

1. Build your website with a good CMS

You need a good framework to build your website on. These days that means using Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress. Once the website is designed and developed, a CMS website enables simple upload of information so that content updates can be easy to manage.

2. Simple and engaging content

Review all your marketing collateral and decide what you’ll use on the website and what needs to be left out. For an accountancy firm, think about the services you offer and provide clear, precise information about each. If you think of who your target client is, then write content that speaks to them.

3. Easy website navigation

When you design the menu and site map, think about the layout and whether it’s relevant and easy to navigate. You want visitors to find things quickly to help reduce the bounce rate and to keep them looking through your website for longer.

4. Call to action

It’s not just about a clear menu, but it’s also about adding clear call to action buttons. These are often used for inbound marketing campaigns to drive visitors to take action such as download a form or ebook or sign up to a newsletter while collecting a contact email address to build your database.  

5. Imagery and video

This forms part of your content too. It makes the website more engaging and easier on the eye. But don’t forget to use the right size as too large and this could impact on the speed of your website loading. Does your current website have good imagery that reflects your brand well? Is it time to invest in video content?

6. Blog

Does your website have a place to add news and articles? Generally known as a blog, this section of your website is important for a business website to help improve its position in organic search such as Google.

This enables you to upload fresh and regular content which keeps the website up to date and engaging for prospects, current clients and also search engines. 

7. Website optimisation

When it comes to digital marketing, Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is probably something you often hear about, but why is it so important for your website? Optimising your site can help your website be found in search engine results pages (SERPs) such as Google or Bing. Any agency you work with will tell you about Meta Descriptions, Alt Tags and H1/H2 headings. A web designer can provide you with simple training on this once your website has been developed. Or you can engage a digital marketing agency to manage this for you moving forward.

8. Back up your website!

If you’ve not already been regularly backing up your website, add this to your new year’s resolutions. If you’ve worked thorugh this list of considerations for your website and feel that you need to create a new site then make sure that your web designer incorporates regular back ups as part of their process and ongoing management fee. 

9. Mobile responsive

If you’re website is a number of year’s old then it’s important to review your website on a mobile phone. Technology has advanced and ensuring that your site is easy to access and navigate pages is vital as so many people search for what’s nearby. If your website is not up to scratch then people will quickly move on to a competitor.

Web design Croydon

Ultimately, no matter what the one thing you take away from this article should be is to keep your website up-to-date. After all, it is the centre of your digital world and could be missing out on the latest opportunities if left too long without maintenance.

If you need help with your website design and development book a consultation with us.

Website optimisation for business growth

04/19/202309/02/2022 by scmarketing

What your website looks like, where it’s found, how up to date it is and how easy it is to navigate are all crucial factors to its success in attracting and engaging your target audience.

A tailored Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaign will help your business be seen online.

Website optimisation involves looking at how your website is built, the keywords within content on your website and the backend (such as Meta Descriptions, Alt Tags etc.) as well as understanding your target audience and their search behaviour.

With this in mind, you can start to build a strategy to improve your rankings in the organic (non-ads based) search results.

Target audience

You’ll already have worked out your online target audience persona to create the content for your website. But if not, look at our blog to help you create a persona.

Then think about what updates you can make to your website content or call to actions to make it engaging to this audience and worth their time visiting your website.

Think quality over quantity when it comes to content on your website. As well as good use of negative space and imagery to help guide the web users’ eye easily around your web page.

Outbound, internal inbound links

As part of the ranking process, search engines consider the quality of links, awarding scores based on the usefulness and relevance of those links.

Internal links can ease navigation within the website this is for people as well as search engines.

While, incoming links to your website provide an indication of how useful your content is to others as people share posts on social media. Less links will have an impact upon where you return in a search result for a given term.

Meta descriptions

Think about when you’ve recently searched online for something. You will see results where companies have great headlines and a paragraph of well written copy that entices you to click the link instead of others.

Behind the scenes you can create these paragraphs or meta descriptions on pages on your website – these are really good when it comes to blogs you may upload. Meta descriptions are a website’s way of telling Google and other search engines exactly what each of your pages are about, what to display and how to display it in the results.

Google My Business

One of the first things to do when your website is live, and to help it be seen in search, is to ensure you have a Google My Business page and complete as much as you can on this page – it’s Free to do!

Check out our blog on completing a Google My Business page.

In a nutshell the benefits of onsite SEO are:

Enhanced brand perception and online presence through better ranking
Better rate of enquiries due to improved visibility
Prime and prominent visibility across Google Maps
Attraction of closely related audiences through better use of popular search terms

Refresh your website with our web design services in Croydon

Having read our article, is it time for a website review and refresh? We can create new web designs that are modern, responsive and optimised. Why not take advantage or our website audit offer and book a free website design consultation to discuss your options.

5 must-know website design trends

04/19/202308/19/2022 by scmarketing

If you’re like most business owners, you know that having a well-designed website is critical to your success. But what are the latest trends in website design? In this article, we’ll outline five key trends to keep in mind when you’re planning on revamping your website in the near future.

1.) Minimalism is still in style - keep your website design simple and clean

In recent years, there has been a trend toward simplicity in website design. This “minimalist” approach calls for clean, layouts and white space. The goal is to make websites easier to navigate and improve the user experience.

While this trend started out as a way to create more visually appealing websites, it has since become an important part of usability and search engine optimisation (SEO). A well-designed minimalist website can be both beautiful and functional, and it is sure to stand out in today’s crowded landscape. When done right, minimalism can be an extremely effective way to engage visitors and drive conversions.

2.) Increased use of negative space

As part of the minimalist design approach, it’s important to consider negative space – the area of a design that is left blank, unadorned, or devoid of visual elements.

When used effectively, negative space can help to create a more balanced and harmonious design. As we continue to face an ever-increasing deluge of visual information, this is a key trend to keep in mind. By creating more deliberate and intentional use of negative space, your web design can be more impactful and memorable.

3.) More typography for a responsive website

The shift away from complex designs with multiple elements has been driven in part by the growing popularity of mobile devices. With smaller screens and less space to work with, web designers have had to focus on delivering the most important information in the clearest possible way.

Typography is also more responsive, it scales well on different devices, from desktop computers to mobile phones. As a result, we’re seeing more websites that rely on typography and whitespace to create a sense of order and hierarchy.

4.) Gradients, duotones, and other colour combinations for visual interest

The use of colour is one of the most important aspects of web design. And, while there are a number of different ways to add colour to a website, one trend that has been gaining popularity lately is the use of gradients, duotones, and other colour combinations.

Two-tone gradients are particularly popular, as they can add a touch of visual interest without being too overwhelming.

Duotones (two colours blended together) are also becoming more common, and they can be used to create a cohesive look while still allowing for some variety.

5.) Video

Video has become an increasingly popular element of website design. There are a number of reasons for this trend. Firstly, video is an immersive medium that can engage viewers in a way that static text and images cannot.

Additionally, video is highly shareable, making it easy for website visitors to spread the word about your brand.

Finally, video is an excellent way to drive conversions, as it can be used to showcase product features or highlight customer testimonials. As a result, incorporating video into your website design is a trend worth considering.

Professional website design and development Croydon

Are you looking to update your website design? If so, be sure to keep an eye on these five trends.

At Smart Cow Marketing, we specialise in helping businesses like yours create beautiful and effective websites. For web design in Croydon, contact us today to learn more about how we can help improve your website design and drive traffic and conversions. Thanks for reading!