If You Build It… It Will Sit There

20 years ago on the internet there were around 257,000 websites, and that was a better than tenfold increase from the previous year. At the end of 2015 there were around 823 million websites, a drop of 11 percent from the year before where the Internet flirted briefly with 1 billion. It is no longer a case of if you build it they will come, or elbowing your way up the search results. The internet has grown and evolved from dial-up modems and tight bandwidth considerations to near universal access to broadband and a data stream of enormous variety and complexity. If you have a website and you are getting little to no traffic, it’s time to take a look at what you are and are not doing to get those clicks.

1. Is your webpage optimized load as quickly as possible? You might think that a delay of just a few seconds is negligible. You would be wrong. The average attention span is 8.25 seconds or three quarters of a second less than the attention span of a goldfish. If your pages not loading within four seconds, those eyeballs are going elsewhere.

2. SEO is not about stuffing keywords into a page. It is about optimizing keyword usage to draw the attention of relevant searches. It is possible to get a high degree of traffic and still have no conversions, using good SEO practices means that searchers are finding your page relevant and what you have to offer useful.

3. When did you last update your content? If, for example, you have a Facebook page but the last entry on it is from 2012, people see that and think that you’re not in business any longer. It’s the same with your website, bringing it up to date, freshening up your offerings, and offering content on a regular basis will show people that you are still open for business.

4. Time for a makeover? The internet has evolved from those old static pages into versatile pages that work both on mobile devices and desktops. If your website is not optimized for mobile, you are losing out on a significant amount of traffic.

5. Are you promoting your webpage on social media? Even if you have a popular Facebook page, Instagram account, or Tumblr, you need to promote both your main page enter content pages so that people can find them. Not promoting your site on social media is as unthinkable as leaving a contact telephone number off your business card.

6. Are you responsive? Do you answer questions and comments promptly? Do you have a contact form? Give people a way to reach you, and you need to reach back.

We understand that not every digital business can afford to field their own marketing department. However, when you’re starting out it’s especially important to start out right. A digital marketing company can come on board to help you to find out what will work for you, your website, and your business. Consult with professionals and watch your traffic stats take off and your business grow.

About 4 Step Studio

4 Step Studio is an online marketing agency that specializes in website design and redesign, SEO, social media and more. Our team of experts focuses on helping small business get found online, while educating them on what will make them successful in the digital world. To learn more about what we can do for you, visit our website at www.4StepStudio.com