In partnership with Tip of the Mitt SCORE, I offered a free online seminar called “Making the Most of Your Website in 2021” on Tuesday, March 16.
In case you missed it, you can watch my presentation at your leisure:
Check out a few key takeaways from the learning session.
Make Your Website Easy to Skim
Your audience is a human reader.
And they skim.
- Short sentences and paragraphs.
- Break up text with subheadings.
- Highlight key points with bullet lists.
- Emphasize with bold text (no italics).
- Be conversational and less formal.
- Write below 9th-grade reading level.
- Avoid jargon that only you understand.
- No screamers – ALL CAPS IS YELLING!
Optimize Your Website About Page
Your About Us page is the second page most visitors look for. They want to learn more about your company and the people behind your brand.
- Develop a plan for what your message should be.
- This might be our first impression of you.
- Write in clear and simple language.
- Use your brand voice and personality.
If potential customers feel a personal or emotional connection to the people behind your business, they will be more likely to contact you.
Create Separate Web Pages for Products & Services
Dedicate one web page to each unique product or service you offer. This well help Google see you as an authority in each specific service you offer or product you sell.
- Do not consolidate everything you offer into one long Services page! You’re diluting your best keywords with one long page.
- Create a separate web page for each product and service you offer with relevant keywords.
- Rank better on Google with individual web pages!
A Blog Shows People You Know Your Stuff
Use your website blog to prove you’re an authority in your niche. Blogs show people you’re an expert they can trust, and they will come back for more!
- Your website blog posts should inform, educate, entertain, and offer value.
- Share lots of how-to industry content with photos and videos.
- Add social share buttons to your blog posts. This makes it easy for readers – and you – to quickly share your content to social media channels.
Google My Business for Local SEO
To be shown on Google Maps and Google Search, the easiest way to get there is Google My Business. According to a survey by Moz, an optimized Google My Business listing is a critical local SEO ranking signal.
Simply claiming your business listing on Google is not enough. You need to optimize and manage your listing!
It’s your Local SEO. Your business can manage how your appear in Google Search and Google Maps.
- Claim your free business listing.
- Optimize your profile to compete locally.
- Add new posts and photos often.
SCORE Counseling
Thank you to Tip of the Mitt SCORE for allowing me to present these helpful tips to local business owners.
If you are in need of business counseling or expert advise for your business, please contact your local chapter of SCORE. Expert volunteers are ready to help you, and this service is free!
