There are almost 2 billion websites for the world to consume. Do you think you could make yours good? What defines a good website? If I have a good website, how do I optimize its performance?
Building and sustaining a website can be daunting. To make it a little more manageable, we’ll break down some elements of good sites to ensure yours stands out from competitors and helps provide your audience with the information, entertainment, and overall dependability they need.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a major buzzword in the web-based industry. However, you want to have as many keywords in your content as possible to generate more hits for your website when people use a search engine such as Bing or Google to meet their needs. Holistic SEO is the way to go if you want an excellent website to impress your consumers and your bottom line.
Holistic SEO ensures you put love and care into your website, which naturally flows with keywords and content. For example, you can have all the top keywords embedded in your content, but if your website needs to be better formatted with sub-par writing quality, who will return to your website? However, could you take the time to produce a website with technically sound SEO wrapped into high-quality content, secure data systems, and an overall satisfying user experience? You’ll increase the likelihood of other websites creating hyperlinks that will send users to your site. With an overall holistic approach to your SEO, you’ll see your website improve its rank, delight consumers, and improve productivity.
Seven Elements that Make a Good Website
Now that we’ve established the importance of holistic SEO and being committed to providing quality content, we’ll need to break down seven elements to focus on when producing that Primo content. I would like to let you know that you must be aware of the buzzworthy keywords that relate to your niche. However, your website’s overall quality and professionalism are essential for producing a good website for you and your audience. You have great ideas, and the people will benefit from your information, products, and services. So, let’s dive into the elements that will allow you to maximize your website’s impact.
Element One: A Website with a Clear Purpose that Will Satisfy Users
The “why” is always a great place to start with any project, especially when building a website. Why do you want to build this website?
Is it to sell a product? What specific product(s) are you selling and to whom?
Is it designed to entertain? Okay, so what topics will you entertain the masses with, and who are you entertaining?
It would be best to have a clear purpose for your website and a plan to execute that purpose for an intended audience. This is an essential starting point. If you build a website before asking these questions, you’ll be destined to have to start from scratch in short order. Building a website about something you are passionate about does not mean people will start clicking.
So think about the “why”? And answer that question honestly. For example, I want to build a website to sell T-shirts I make. Okay, now what specific niche do I want to sell T-shirts to? A specific band. From there, you have a defined audience that you can target. It would be best to learn everything you can about that intended audience. If they love to follow the band on the road, great, produce content about their tours. Are there specific songs and quotes that look great on t-shirts? Significant, generate quality shirts and a professional web store for that audience.
Think about the websites you like to visit. Why do you visit them? What is their goal? What do you like as an audience about that goal?
I want to point out that understanding and uniting your website with your audience’s needs is paramount. You’ll need to know what they might be looking for and incorporate those words into your content. You can be strategic about alluring your audience from one website or search engine to yours. A good website can discover what its audience wants and turn that into something they need.
Element Two: A Website That Is Technically Sound
Have you ever clicked on a link from a search engine to a slow-loading website? Did you stick around waiting for it to load? Probably not. The same goes for a clunky website that is difficult to navigate and loaded with errors. Building a fast, stable, and technically sound website will help keep your users there and keep them returning for more.
Please make sure that you have done your research and are using a highly qualified hosting company with satisfactory ratings. Many hosting websites have great technical service teams you can chat with or call if you have any issues or questions when building or modifying your website.
A website with smooth and technical SEO and the right content management system will give you the best chance at a good website.
Element Three: Effective Design and Primo User Experience
An aesthetically pleasing website is usually good, as long as you know your audience. The look of your website will be the first experience your audience has with your creation. Could you think again about your favorite sites that you frequent or enjoy? What is compelling about their design? What elements of their design can you incorporate into your website? Color scheme matters, too. Please be sure to research colors and make sure your text and buttons are easy to see.
Another element of website design that impacts user experience is clarity. Do you know if your website’s goal is effectively portrayed? Does each page stand alone to meet the specific needs of your audience? If your website’s goals are accessible to the user, you are on the right path toward providing your audience with a great user experience.
Also, please ensure that your website has a good flow and feel. Your pages should flow for readers, and there should be smooth elements for the user. Some of the most common frustrations include buttons that can’t be seen and text that is too difficult to read.
Element Four: Enticing, User-Centered Content
It all comes back to your audience and keeping them engaged and entertained. Again, staying up-to-date with all the latest happenings and trends your audience engages in would be best. Be at the forefront of generating content that will keep them returning for more. Visiting your website should serve an entertaining, informative, or productive purpose for your audience.
What does the audience need? Find those answers and provide them clearly and understandably. Be clever, find unique ways to stay ahead of the curve, and make your website a must-visit for your audience.
Element Five: Mobile-Friendly!
You are doomed if your website is not mobile-friendly. That’s not hyperbole. It’s 2020, so you need a 20/20 vision for your site. See the website as a desktop and see the website as mobile-based. How do all the elements flow? Is it clunky or user-friendly?
Luckily, if you have the right hosting site, they can help if you feel your website could be more mobile-friendly. Usually, you only need to reduce the clutter and keep your design clear. Again, go back to the goal of your website. You have a good website if you can find the best way for your audience to achieve that goal from a mobile device.
Element Six: Structure Data for Search Engines
Like your website, search engines like Google want to be effective for their consumers. For search engines to be effective, they have created an algorithm that can “read” websites to figure out exactly what a page is all about. Once they have this information, the search engine can determine if that page best meets the needs of the search. But what if there was a way to help provide these search engines with more practical information to enhance your website’s performance? Well, there is.
You can provide structured data on websites like https://schema.org/, enabling you to provide search engines with the exact purpose of your website and pages.
If you’ve ever seen websites appear on a Google search that includes little blips of content like a recipe or FAQ dropdown, then you can be sure those websites provided structured data for Google. Essentially, you’re providing easily digestible data for search engines that can then be purveyed to the user. These elements will grab the user’s attention and help improve the likelihood that they will check out your website.
Element Seven: A Website You Can Trust
We’ve all seen the little green lock icon and breathed a sigh of relief knowing this is a secure website. The internet is a vast and wild world, so a good website must provide users with trust. Safe and secure sites are more likely to be trusted and returned to. Search engines also consider this, as they strive to provide searchers with the best results. They will go with what is proven to be trustworthy.
This also goes back to the content you provide.
Your website should also be secure, and structures must be established to protect yourself from hackers. If people provide their personal information, you better honor that by using up-to-date software to protect it from possible attacks. Prevention and protection will help your website prosper.
The Good Website
Seven elements will help you develop a good website. But don’t stop there. Be on the cutting edge and remain a lifelong learner when building a good website. Think about what it takes to make a great website. What we have laid out for you today are the foundational pieces essential to ensuring your website will be good from top to bottom. However, we have only laid out the basics.
Please remember to ensure that you have a clear goal, that your content is high-quality, and that your website fits your needs.
Remember that goals can change and develop, quality content in 2020 can be stale and underwhelming in 2021, and the audience’s needs can change over time. You must always look to innovate and stay on the cutting edge regarding your website. It’s always good advice to reflect on your favorite popular websites and consider how they have evolved. Has their formatting changed? Have they grown in their objectives and goals? What have they done to enhance your experience as a consumer?
Building and maintaining a website should be a fun and worthwhile experience. Putting your passion into it and staying guided by these elements should yield positive results. Best of luck with your website-building adventures!
