How to update an existing website and get more traffic. There are some simple fixes that will make a big difference to your figures
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of contents
- Understand your traffic to start the race
- Site speed is critical
- Will your page work on a Mobile phone
- Do you have a blog page?
- Email capture pop
- Dark colours and elaborate font
- Having prominent contact details
- A common misconception
- Finally, does your site answer a question or solve a problem?
- Why would they trust you?
- Conclusion
Understand your traffic to start the race
First of all, let's have a look at your site analytics and see what is under the dashboard.
What country is your traffic coming from?
Understand your traffic to start the race
- Find the best pages?
- What referral sites are being used?
- How long do they stay on the page?
- The number of pages being viewed
This will give you an idea of the overall picture and determine what needs to be changed.
The site is about your customers and what you do for them.
If you are telling your readers what wonderful people you are and all the awards you have collected you are wrong.
It is an unfortunate truth that readers don’t care about you.
They want solutions and answers.
Look at your site and ask yourself “would I buy from these people”
If there is a moment of hesitancy then accept that advice and act on it.
Site speed is critical
This has become a paramount feature of the new SEO rules.
A slow opening of your site will rob you of visitors because they are typically impatient too the Max.
You can check your speed with a Google tool and get feedback on the performance. Also very important is the speed of a mobile phone opening.
This will give you an idea of the overall picture and determine what needs to be changed.
The site is about your customers and what you do for them
If you are telling your readers what wonderful people you are and all the awards you have collected you are wrong.
It is an unfortunate truth that readers don’t care about you.
They want solutions and answers.
Look at your site and ask yourself “would I buy from these people”
If there is a moment of hesitancy then accept that advice and act on it.
How to update an existing website to work with a mobile device
Will your page work on a Mobile phone
If your page is a couple of years old this may never have been considered.
However, rules have changed and Google will rate your site primarily based on a mobile response. That’s right, it must look good on a mobile or laptop to be considered for good SEO
Furthermore, its opening speed must also be excellent for these devices as well.
Again Google has a tool for this and it should be used on every page you have.
Do you have a blog page?
Using a blog to explain your business, procedures, tools or products is necessary for this modern era.
Your blog can also generate a lot of traffic to your main site or business door as that is partially the objective.
Whilst this may be a time taking exercise it can easily be outsourced and for a few dollars maintain a consistent flow of useful articles.
A good blog page could send thousands of interested customers to your site every year resulting in a lot of new sales.
How to update an existing website and add an exit pop.
Email capture pop
You will have (or should have) a capture pop on your page soliciting as much information as you can.
Do you have a giveaway that attracts signatures If not then change it until it does work? The contact details build your customer base and create an asset.
There are many ways to do this and they all work just some better than others
Dark colours and elaborate font
You would be better being read than looking pretty.
At times dark backgrounds look pretty swish but when the words are hard to read it defeats the purpose.
Getting visitors is only one matrix, having them read and subscribe is the money shot.
The other small issue is having font sizes varying all over the site the golden rule is to start large and then vary downward.
Having prominent contact details
Many visitors go to your site seeking either a physical address or a phone number. They may be lost in traffic looking for you and a quick mobile search should turn up your contact details without scrolling a lot of pages.
Therefore put the details early and prominent for those seeking quick access.
A common misconception
We all have social media directing readers to our sales page and that is its sole job.
However, your sales page (home Page) should not direct readers off to a social site where they can get lost in the ether.
Yes have a link to your media for those that want to explore but don’t make it
an objective.
When they enter the social arena there are so many shining lights to tempt them to other fields.
Keep them immersed in your pages where the links linger waiting to be clicked
Finally, does your site answer a question or solve a problem?
Firstly content is king. Google ranks on content and how well you answer a question, solve a problem or deliver a solution.
Do you stay on track or try to be an answer to all things.
Certainly, you can link to all things that answer the questions but you can’t do it all on page one.
Next focus on your overall niche and the importance it delivers to others.
Supply the answer to dreams and the solutions to doubts that your readers will possess and get their trust early.
Why would they trust you?
Find the answer to trust and you are two-thirds of the way to owning your reader.
It is often stated that the higher your authority the greater the love of Google.
That is why you must declare your position in the field and shout it loudly.
For instance, on a medical-related site, a Doctor or surgeon will carry more authority than a layman, Or do they.
if you show that your material has come from well-documented sources and write papers on that subject, your writing is based on facts, then you garnish the authority you desire.
Conclusion
Finally, this is not a complete list however it details the most important features that you should entertain.
You may not need to change anything and your analytics search will hold the answer to the question.
However, if you are languishing in the results it’s time to take a long hard look at your site and make the changes to make a difference.
Take the rose-colored glasses off and assume the role of the cynic to be more objective in your review.
Get the red pen out and slash the errors that need to be changed and do it.
Remember most of your business comes from your website so it must be good.
How to update an existing website by Peter Hanley
Really great article. I believe that us bloggers tend to forget to constantly update pout articles. We just think that when we are done writing then you do not have to go back to your article which is wrong. We constantly need to go back and check our articles and always update it.
Thanks Daniel,
I am guilty as charged for leaving my old sites ignored.
It is interesting that when I go back to WP classic I am lost without the building blocks.
Regards
peter H