Clear Message
When visitors land on your homepage, they want to understand what you do and what you're all about within seconds. If they can't figure it out right away, they'll leave and go to a competitor's website. You need to make sure your message is clear and concise on your homepage - as well as all other pages on your website. This means using easy-to-read fonts, shorter paragraphs and catchy headers to ensure your visitors know exactly who you are and what you do.Mobile-Friendly Design
This has been a theme for many years now and with the rise of smartphones, viewing websites on a mobile device is more popular than ever. Statistics show that more than 55% of internet usage is from a mobile device rather than a desktop. So this is a trend you don’t want to ignore. Ensure your website is designed in a way that it displays well and still looks great on a mobile device. The layout of your website will change depending on the device it's being viewed on. The text and images will be easy to see and navigate, and all buttons and links will be easy to click on.Page Speed
Although this is not a new concept, if you haven't already taken some action to help your load times, now is the time to give it some thought. The websites that load the fastest are always going to win out over their competitors. This is because visitors won't wait around for a slow-loading website - they will just leave and return to your competitor's site instead. Page speed is directly related to how fast your pages download on mobile devices, which affects Google rankings. Add this to your list for the New Year and give your website a helping hand up the rankings.Landing Pages
Where do your customers go when they click on a call to action? By implementing CMS-managed landing pages, you can create a page that captures all that you need to turn this visitor into a customer. You also benefit from having no 3rd party software to manage, simply utilise your content management system within your website forms. You can also edit and update your landing pages when you need to and test these for optimal results.
Have we given you some food for thought? Whether you are a Web Guys customer or not, these are things that you really should consider as we step into 2022. Why not make yourself a list of website goals for the coming year? Even better, if you are not a Web Guys customer, why don’t you consider becoming one and get a brand new website to kick off the New Year?
We hope that you got value from our blog post to help with your business. If you are looking to create a new website or your current site need updating then contact our director of business development Gary on sales@thewebguys.co.uk to take your online presence to the next level.
If you need help and assistance with a brand new website, then why not schedule a 1-2-1 chat with our Web Guy Jon? He can talk you through all the ways you can make your website work.
We can help you to create a top-quality website that you can use to sell your products or services – we will help you to get your website up and running and advise you on how to really make the most of your website >>> Get started today.
Don’t forget to read part 2 of this blog coming soon…
How to Actually Improve Your Website's Page Speed
Simply knowing that page speed is important is not enough. To see real improvements, you need to take concrete steps. Start by analysing your site with a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to get a baseline score and specific recommendations. Here are common actions you can take:
- Compress Images: Large image files are a primary cause of slow pages. Use tools to reduce their file size without sacrificing quality before uploading them.
- Enable Browser Caching: Caching stores parts of your website on a visitor's browser, so it doesn't have to reload everything on subsequent visits. This dramatically speeds up the experience for returning users.
- Minify Code: Reduce the size of your website's CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files by removing unnecessary characters like spaces and comments. This makes the files lighter and faster to download.
Verifying Your Mobile-Friendly Design
A mobile-friendly design must work across a wide range of devices, not just your own phone. The most reliable way to check this is to use an official testing tool. Google provides a free Mobile-Friendly Test where you can enter your website's URL.
This tool analyses your page and reports back on whether it meets Google's criteria for mobile usability. It checks for issues such as:
- Text that is too small to read.
- Content that is wider than the screen.
- Links or buttons that are too close together to be easily tapped.
Passing this test is a strong indicator that your site provides a good user experience on mobile and aligns with Google's mobile-first indexing, which prioritises the mobile version of your site for ranking.
Verifying Your Mobile-Friendly Design
A mobile-friendly design must work across a wide range of devices, not just your own phone. The most reliable way to check this is to use an official testing tool. Google provides a free Mobile-Friendly Test where you can enter your website's URL.
This tool analyses your page and reports back on whether it meets Google's criteria for mobile usability. It checks for issues such as:
- Text that is too small to read.
- Content that is wider than the screen.
- Links or buttons that are too close together to be easily tapped.
Passing this test is a strong indicator that your site provides a good user experience on mobile and aligns with Google's mobile-first indexing, which prioritises the mobile version of your site for ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Website Optimisation
Why is a clear homepage message so critical?
A visitor typically decides whether to stay on your site within seconds. If your core message, explaining who you are and what problem you solve, is not immediately obvious, they will likely leave. This is known as a 'bounce', and a high bounce rate can signal to search engines that your page is not relevant to users.
How does page speed technically affect search rankings?
Google uses a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals to measure user experience, which includes loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Pages that perform well on these metrics are given a potential ranking boost because they provide a better experience, which is a key goal for search engines.
What is the main advantage of using a CMS for landing pages?
Using your existing Content Management System (CMS) means you can create, edit, and test landing pages without relying on separate, third-party software. This simplifies your workflow, reduces costs, and ensures the design and branding are consistent with the rest of your website.
Using Your CMS for Effective Landing Pages
The original article correctly highlights the value of CMS-managed landing pages. The key benefit is integration. Instead of using a separate tool, you can build these crucial pages within the same system that powers your main website.
Popular platforms make this straightforward:
- WordPress: You can use the built-in block editor or powerful page builder plugins like Elementor or Beaver Builder to create custom, high-converting landing pages without writing any code.
- HubSpot CMS Hub: This platform is designed for marketing and has landing page creation, A/B testing, and analytics built directly into its core functionality.
By using your CMS, you maintain brand consistency, streamline content management, and keep all your website analytics in one place.
