Changes to the Internet can be very exciting. Google and other search engines control how people find content, meaning more relevant search results for users. The average quality of content has improved across the Internet, and design trends dictate what looks current.
As we stroll through 2015, one of the questions you should be asking yourself is, “Am I with the times?”
Here are some signs your website has fallen behind:
1. Your website is keyword-focused
Throughout the 2000s, websites found the more times a keyword populated their webpages, the higher their sites landed on search results. This led to keyword spamming, a practice that now hurts your ranking. Don’t get us wrong; SEO and keywords still matter. If you have the same keyword or sentence appear multiple times on one page, though, it needs to be changed.
2. Your website is not mobile friendly
More people access websites through mobile devices than desktops and laptops. New design practices require responsive design, which is a way of building websites so they can be accessed from every device.
3. Your content is short or limited
Search engines have changed from giving preference to multiple weekly updates in favor of longer, more thoughtful posts. 4-5 monthly updates with 700-1000 word posts boost your ratings the most. The idea is that short posts fail to deliver the in-depth content desired by readers.
4. Your website uses custom code instead of a CMS
Automated code management programs like Drupal and WordPress make changing and updating content easier and better than ever. Hand-coding takes time, and big changes are difficult to implement quickly.
5. You have an animated loading page
If you have a video introduction, change it immediately. Bounce rates are high for sites that take too long to load, and that time is measured in just a few seconds.
6. Your website uses Flash
For almost a decade, Flash-based websites seemed to rule the Internet, but that is quickly changing. Flash sites are seeing their search rankings plummet. It does not work on many mobile devices (including most Apple products). Furthermore, support for Flash technology has been officially discontinued by Apple and Android, the two primary operating systems used on mobile devices.
7. Your website has no calls to action
Look around on your landing pages and blog posts. Are you effectively asking for readers to do something? Every page should move users to a different part of the site, eventually landing them at your store or contact page.
If you found this information helpful you might also like our article on Defining The Attributes Of An Effective Website for additional tips and tricks. If your website is in need of a make-over we would love to help. Give us a call or request a quote today!