Local Web Design Tips – Jupiter Florida

There are so many good pieces of advice for local businesses to optimize their websites, however we are seeing poor site designs continue to crop up. Because of this, we are going to present some basic reminders of what you should NOT do on your local business site.

1: Avoid Vanity Phone Numbers

Never use a vanity phone number on your website no matter how tempting this practice sounds. This was a way of personalizing businesses in the 1970’s and, while it worked well back then, it needs to remain a historical artifact. Search engines are not able to make an association with your site listing and your phone number, so SEO could become compromised. Another mistake is placing your phone number within a graphic. It needs to be in the HTML.

2: Keep Copyright Updated

We’re now into 2015, but does your site still read 2012 on the page footers? If you’re not updating the copyright dates gives the impression that your site is out of date and stale to prospective customers and search engines.

3: Flash-Only Websites Should Be Avoided

Certain parts of your can be designed using Flash, like an animated banner, but avoid a full site design. This will prevent your site from performing well with mobile devices and search engines.

4: Do Not Anchor Links Using “Click Here” Texts

Customers are not searching for the words “click here,” therefore you should not be using those words as the text for your links. Instead, take this opportunity to link words that prospective customers could be using as keywords during their searches.

5: Avoid Vacant Sites

Do not launch your site until it is complete, otherwise it will receive poor rankings. Sites with “Coming Soon,” or “Under Construction,” labels send bad messages to search engines.

6: Error or Expiration Messages Are Bad!

Allowing your homepage to feature error or expiration messages makes your site lose ranking in search engines. Upon shutting down, your listing may be dropped by Google and less likely to be recommended to consumers.

7: Keep Your Host and Designer Payments Up to Date

This may seem obvious, but unless you stay up to date with your payments, error pages will be the result. Another problem could result including your designer causing problems with your online reputation if you do not pay your bills.

8: Do Not Play Music

The majority of your visitors are either already listening to music they prefer or intentionally choosing not to listen to music at all. Websites that automatically play music upon loading are a nuisance.

9: Avoid Putting Contact Info in Fine Print

Don’t write your contact information in fine print, and avoid placing it at the very bottom of your page. Why do you want this information to be difficult for your visitors to see? This is bad for SEO, site design, and search engines that are not friendly to small texts.

10: Avoid Too Many Options

When consumers enter a site with too many options, they feel they are clicking on to a commoditization trap. You are building sales skills and selling services, so avoid driving prospective customers away. You are also building relationships, partnerships, and contacts. Your business is going to close deals with people you expect, those you least expect, some deals online, and some through word-of-mouth. As your skills continue to grow, you will also determine whether or not you want to remain a sole-proprietor or take on a partner. Only you can make this decision, and close these deals.

I hope you enjoyed “Local Web Design Tips – Jupiter Florida” please check out some of my other posts and let me know what you think.