How To Keep Your Website Visitor’s Attention | Prescott, AZ

You’ve finally decided to invest in a website for your business. It is all designed to your specifications and has gone live. The problem is, attracting visitors to your website is one thing, but getting your visitors to stick around is another. You don’t only want visitors to take a look at your website and leave, you want your visitors to stick around and take a certain action. If you’ve noticed that your visitors are clicking that “back button” quite often, then maybe it’s time you realize there may be a problem with your website.  The follow list includes five reasons why your visitors may be leaving your website:

Poor first impression. Your homepage is essentially the face of your business to the online world. When designing your website, make sure your home page is attractive, provides useful information, and of course has eye pleasing graphics.

Difficult navigation. We have all had a tough time figuring out how to navigate through a poorly designed website – keep it simple and organized.

Pop-ups. When it comes to marketing your business, a website is key to generating leads, but forcing visitor information as they click on your site is off-putting. Set these pop-ups should be at an appropriate time.

Auto-play videos. If you do have a video on your site, give your visitors the freedom to press play and watch it on their own time.

Confusing content. The font, text color and background will affect how well your visitors will be able to read and retain the content on your website.

Interested in learning more about how to optimize user experience for your website? Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

The Importance Of A Memorable Website Domain Name | Prescott, AZ

When we start a business, one of the most important items to decide about is a company name. Not only is it going to represent you, but it needs to be something that will represent your business for as long as is in existence. It’s a big deal! And when you go to design your website, a domain name is just as important. One false move and you have a really awkward or impossible website to remember.

We all want to have our domain name be the name of our business, but there are times that it could be taken. If this is the case, you may need to rethink your brand. One of the biggest errors people make is naming their business something very similar to someone else’s, making it very difficult for potential clients to distinguish who you are. Instead, brainstorm keywords for your business and what you’d like to focus on with your website. Be creative and catchy – the more individual you can become, the easier it will be to catch the eye of your future clients.

Once you have found something you think is perfect, type it into a URL address bar. If it has an error message, you’re in luck! It seems that no one has it and it is possible it is available to purchase.

The point of a unique domain name is that it is easy to remember, especially if they don’t need to write it down. Don’t over-complicate things, you got this, and if its still intimidating, our team is ready and happy to help you decide on one.

Interested in learning more about how to optimize user experience for your website? Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

How To Protect Your WordPress Website | Prescott, AZ

In this day and age, it is important to realize that hackers are always going to be a threat to you and your personal information. You may not think you’d ever become a victim, but people are being hacked every day. So, in order to protect yourself, you need to stay on top of your information. If you have a WordPress-built website, make sure that you take the necessary steps in order to keep your website safe. Don’t worry – it isn’t all that complicated.

Ditch the “admin” username. When creating your WordPress website, your default name will be admin. And for the most part, it never changes. Change this name in order to make it more difficult for hackers to guess.

Strong passwords are key. Your password is the electronic key into your website and hackers use software that can test every word in Wikipedia against your password. When creating your passwords, don’t use actual words, like your child’s name, first car or anything that makes sense. The best passwords contain random lowercase and uppercase letters, as well as numbers and symbols.

Keep updated. WordPress sites can become insecure only when not kept updated. So, make sure all updates are in place so hackers cannot gain access.

Limit your logins. You should install a plugin in your WordPress website that limits logins. Hackers use software that runs Wikipedia words and names against your password until they can gain access. Limiting logins will prevent this from happening.

Interested in learning more about how to optimize user experience for your website? Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

SEO-Enhancing Website Additions | Prescott, AZ

Whenever a web designer or copywriter discusses the importance of incorporating Search Engine Optimization (SEO), they are basically referring to the ability of Google to find your business online. Essentially, their goal is to build and write your website in a way that uses as many relevant tags, both in the background and on landing pages, as possible. If they are able to do that, it kicks off a positive cycle of events that help grow your business.

Here’s a brief description of how it works:

When someone types something into a search engine, tags and keywords work to drive your website up the URL results hierarchy. The higher up you are, the more clicks your website receives and the more a search engine will associate you with those keywords; over time, enhanced SEO works together with organic website traffic to keep you there. The more discoverable your business is, the more potential you have to generate new clients or consumers. Here are some easy ways to update your SEO:

Blogs

Blogs are a great way to add or increase your ability to get found by search engines. They are usually between 350- 500 words and offer readers a variety of information from the latest updates on a given topic to insight into your business or field of expertise. A blog writer’s goal is to create structured content in a way that allows for the greatest volume of keyword use within that length parameter. A succinct, single-topic, in-depth blog can say a lot in 350- 500 words, both to the reader and search engines.

Meta Data

Metadata refers to the “unseen HTML elements that directly communicate and clarify website information for search engines” according to bigcommerce.com. Image information, titles, tags, structured data, and code all fall into this category of HTML elements. Metadata is embedded into what is referred to as the “back end” of a website; the space in which website developers work, and can even pull information from image tags.

Landing Page Copy

Landing pages are simply where visitors to your website “land” when they click on a given element of your website. A website can have any number of pages on it, but it’s important that those pages are information about your business or service. When a website is written, the person writing it uses the same technique as the blogger, it’s just disseminated differently. Ideally, the two work to complement one another providing a seamless experience for viewers and search engines.

We are proud to offer clients the SEO services they need to get found online. Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

Loading Time and Overall Website Performance | Prescott, AZ

The amount of time that it takes for your website to load can truly impact SEO. Your website's speed depends on many different factors. This can range from host design and optimization. As a matter of fact, loading time matters for both users and search engines. It’s a fact that many users are less likely to stay on a site that has a slow loading time and I assure you that Google will penalize your site for loading too slowly.

Page Speed Matters to Google- Google wants to provide its users with the best experience possible, and if your site loads slowly it will affect your rating with Google. Google has been focusing on delivering the best user experience possible. Chances are that if your site loads faster, your business has better chances that viewers will remain on your page.

Page Speed Matters to Viewers- While page speed is important to Google, other search engines, and for your rankings, it also impacts user experience. It is not a secret that a positive user experience often leads to better conversions overall. There are many ways that a fast-loading website creates a good user experience.

  • If your business sells a product, having a fast-loading page helps your visitors quickly understand what your company has to offer and complete the order forms.
  • If your website generates revenue due to the advertising of your content, a fast-loading site can ensure that your visitors navigate through all of your web pages and can increase the total page views.

Efficient page speed relies on many different optimizations. If you’re ready to improve your overall website speed, contact Jelly Websites in Prescott, AZ today at 951-371-9327 or visit www.jellywebsites.com today!

DIY Website Platforms: A Guide | Prescott, AZ

Websites are advantageous investments in your business. They communicate to existing and potential clients that you either run a legitimate enterprise or are a serious sole proprietor. For many just starting out in their career or seeking to level up their business, it’s useful to understand which of the many website platforms will suit your needs the best. Here is a rundown of the various DIY website options and their best use cases.

Shopify: This is a platform for e-commerce-based businesses. As your business grows, it offers add-ons and upgrades that allow the site to scale with you. It also integrates other management tools to keep tabs on several aspects of your business.

WordPress: It may be the most recognized website-building tool; it's certainly one of the longest-standing DIY platforms. WordPress allows users to completely customize their website and often relies on code to get the details just right.

Wix: A website built on Wix can be crafted from a variety of templates to highlight anything from services to a portfolio or built out to support e-commerce. It’s a fairly simple and intuitive program to use, making it a popular way to easily create an online presence for your enterprise.

Squarespace: Another e-commerce-specific platform, Squarespace is a user-friendly website-building tool. If your business is mobile, the accessories they offer are an added bonus, and a large reason it has become a popular option.

Having any online presence is better than none, so if you are considering the next steps for your enterprise, it’s important to analyze what you offer, and the platform that may best suit your needs. Of course, none of these options is going to provide a customized experience for your clients the way crafting your presence with a designer will.

If you are interested in curating or improving your online presence, contact Jelly Websites at 951-371-9327 or visit www.jellywebsites.com today!

Website Design Mistakes to Avoid | Prescott, AZ

Your website is the first impression most clients will have of your business. It’s important to make the impression positive, and long lasting. If it’s time to take a second look at the messages your online presence shares with new or returning clients, here are some mistakes to avoid.

No Color or Unique Typography. Designers often think that they can get away with colors that “seem to match” or fonts that are “close”. Web design projects are just like any other when it comes to styles and branding, making consistent color and typography palettes extremely critical. Be sure that you have a great set of colors and type choices that contribute to a simple and professional-looking design.

Sub-optimal Navigation. Don’t get to creative or go over the top when creating your navigation. It’s always best to think of your visitors beforehand. Having a simple and modernized navigation is a crucial design element to any website.

Contact Information. This a very big problem, though it is rare, there are several websites that don’t have an email or contact form. Don’t make you visitor have to look somewhere other than you website for contact information. If you do have contact information on your website, make sure that it’s easy to find and access. You can try putting your contact information in the websites footer, header or even both the footer and header.

Not Mobile-Friendly. When you’re designing a website you must think of content in terms of mobile. Think about considering a “mobile-first” approach during the planning, copywriting, design, review, and testing. Do this all the way to the release and revisions to ensure your site is mobile-friendly. If you site isn’t mobile friendly, I assure you that you are going to lose business. Be sure your website adapts to any size screen. It results to a bad first impression when visitors have to pinch and pull to enlarge text and imagery.

Flash Website. I may have mentioned that going back in time is impossible, however it turns out that it is: An all-flash website takes us back to 2006! But on a serious note, there a huge impact on the number of visitors who can access your all-flash website. Flash isn’t compatible with iOS, meaning anyone with an iPhone or iPad will not be able to view your website, which kills your mobile reach.

Your website is the first impression for your business, so be sure to take the time to invest time into its quality.

If you’d like to improve your websites online appearance, contact Jelly Websites in Prescott, AZ at 951-371-9327 or visit us online at www.jellywebsites.com today!

Qualities of a Professional Website Designer | Prescott, AZ

A website designer will offer clients a website that is as user friendly as it is beautiful and effective. They understand layout, trends, and often code special elements that set your digital presence apart. Your prospective web designer should have experience and a portfolio to prove it. Website designers may be involved in designing for a variety of industries, or specialize in niche topics such as weddings or construction.

A good designer will inquire about your likes, dislikes, aesthetic, the brand or the services you offer. In order to create your vision, it’s helpful to clue them in on any colors or inspiration you reference when imagining your dream site. Here is a list of things to be aware of when considering adding a designer to your new or revamped website efforts:

  • Does the designer take time to get to know your business, desired aesthetic and ideas?
  • Do you want your designer to specialize in the type of website you want?
  • Have you researched the designer’s portfolio? Do you like their work?
  • How many years of experience does your designer bring to the project?
  • Does he or she provide a detailed estimate for the services you are seeking?
  • How many edits are you allotted per page during the process?

It may seem like a lot of information to inquire about and give to your prospective designer, but it will save a lot of time and frustration later on. If your designer hasn’t taken these steps or your intuition tells you a given designer is not meshing well, take your time to shop around. A professional designer should be inquisitive, honest, and collaborative to make your vision come to life.

Interested in developing a website with the professional designers at Jelly Websites? Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

Tricks for Website Clicks | Prescott, AZ

Frustrated business owners may dive into the analytics of their website and wonder “why am I not getting the kind of traffic I want?” Putting together a compelling website to showcase your brand is the first step towards generating clientele. The next, and arguably more difficult task, is driving traffic there.

Of course, the way a business goes about driving traffic will depend on the business itself. Social channels are a great way to generate interest, but one social network does not fit all. It’s important to evaluate what you have to offer and what platforms will highlight those services.

Let’s say you are an architect who generally gains clientele through referrals, you may not need anything more than an interesting Instagram page to share your favorite projects. If you are selling handmade goods, it makes more sense to take advantage of e-commerce sites like Etsy in addition to multiple social platforms to generate website traffic.

The interplay of social, e-commerce, marketing strategy and your website is referred to as transmediation; allowing one or more platforms to link and flow to the next. When done properly, transmediating your channels will boost your SEO online, increasing your page ranking on major search engines and, ultimately, generating more clicks to your website.

Transmediation is a great way top generate clicks to your website. Another way business owners can boost analytics is by incorporating a QR code onto their business cards and marketing materials. QR codes may seem like a been there, done that fad but to the average person who receives a business card, it’s a unique, convenient way to view your work.

You also want to ensure your website is mobile accessible. Of course, it’s published online, meaning it can be accessed via smartphone. What is important to note however is the presentation of your website in that format. If your website is not currently mobile accessible, discuss options with your website developer to understand how your business can stand out to those on the go.

The trick is in how easily accessible your content and website is to potential clients; the easier it is to find and learn about you, the more interest you will generate in your services. The more SEO-rich content you can get out into the world, the higher your Google rankings. The higher your ranking, the more eyes - and clicks - will come your way, ultimately growing your business.

Interested in learning more about how to optimize your website? Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

Is Your Website ADA Compliant? | Prescott, AZ

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) was implemented in 1990 to ensure that individuals with disabilities enjoy equal opportunities just as anyone else would. Thanks in part to this act, business and transit that serve the public feature wheelchair accessible accommodations.

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) was implemented in 1990 to ensure that individuals with disabilities enjoy equal opportunities just as anyone else would. Thanks in part to this act, business and transit that serve the public feature wheelchair accessible accommodations. Provisions are now in place for websites and mobile applications to be ADA compliant. What this means, your website can, and arguably should, be accessible to individuals with disabilities that affect their hearing, vision, or physical abilities.

The ADA’s official standard for websites has been drawn out in Title III. It states “places of public accommodation” are required by law to remove “access barriers” that would inhibit persons with disabilities from accessing a business’ online goods or services.

Here are five things to consider if your website is not yet ADA compliant

  • Increases your target audience reach
  • Compliance improves SEO efforts
  • ADA affiliation may help your reputation
  • Usability measures improves website
  • Avoid non-compliance penalties

To learn more about ADA compliance, and what that may mean for your business, contact Jelly Websites at 951.371.9327 or visit online at www.jellywebsites.com today!