Tag: website tips

How To Write A Good Blog For Your Website | Prescott, AZ

A blog is a great way to let the world know your views on whatever it is that you decide to write about. But for some, it may become a daunting task. What should I what should I write about now that is relevant and get people’s attention? What are people curious about or interested in knowing? If you’re feeling stuck, keep these tips in mind for wiring a good blog for your website.

Your community. Many of us choose to rely on our day-to-day conversations as fodder for our blogs. If you are writing about your business, writing about questions or concerns your customers have presented to you is a great way to not only help others that are looking for an answer, but also present yourself as an expert on the topic.

Mistakes made. Lessons are always learned when stumbling through this life. Imparting lessons that you’ve learned will make your readers feel less embarrassed if they know someone else has done the exact same thing before. Each one, teach one.

Life experiences. Let’s face it – no one wants to be bored and no one wants to be lectured. So, having an entertaining way of tying in life experiences into blogs is a great way to show someone something without pointing at it and making it a focal point. Sometimes the best teachers are those that aren’t trying.

If you’re still not producing the blogs you want, we’re here to help. Our in-house writer has over seven years of experience writing engaging blogs for a variety of industries, and can help your business stand out, and get noticed.

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!

Driving Traffic To Grow Your Business | Prescott, AZ

When starting a new business, it is difficult to get your name out in the public. Thankfully, this is the age of social media, so even the littlest guy has a shot at success, but that’s not the only way you can entice new and existing customers. Here are some ways to maximize your marketing capabilities to grow your business.

But how to you expand your client base in a new clever way? A time will come when you will need to cast a wider client net. Here are a few great ways to do just that in a new exciting way:

Blog it. Not only will a blog find you find new clients, but the traffic you incur will make you more visible on search engines. The idea is to keep content fresh and entertaining. Give them the information they will not only find useful but the more creative you are with its presentation, the more response you’ll receive.

Freebies. It is important to have a good reference when expanding your business. But there is one thing that is tough to resist – a free gift. Be sure this information or material you’re giving away is valuable, so people are more apt to talk about it to their friends.

Borrow an audience. People have found success in getting their names out there by making cameos on other people’s sites. Approach those that are directly related to what you are doing – people usually appreciate that you admire them that much to ask.

Spread the news. Social networks aren’t just for networking, they’re also an ideal place to post your content. It’s a give-and-take idea – after all, teamwork is the best way to expand your success.

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 Create An Effective Footer For Your Website | Prescott, AZ

Although the footer of your website may not be the most eye-catching area of your site, your visitors look for the footer in search of important information. Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing the footer of your website:

Simplicity Gets It Done. When dealing with lots of information, keep it easy for your visitors to find the information they need.

Link It. Two of the most important links on your website are the contact and about us sections. When visitors land on your webpage, direct them to these pages.

Contact information. Besides including “Contact Us” in your footer, add your contact information, including physical address, emails address, and phone number.

Keep It Relevant. Your information should be divided into columns or rows and arranged by relevant important information like contact information, social media, links, etc.

Copy. Including a copyright notice is extremely important to your security and can save you from facing many problems. Include the copyright symbol, the name of the copyright owner, and the year it was created.

Add A Call To Action. Add the extra nudge your visitors need to sign up for newsletters, subscribe to blogs, or to send an email requesting a quote.

Legible & Contrasted. Your footer is typically small in size and much of your info is kept in that small block. Color, brightness, and contrast should also be taken into consideration.

Graphics. Add logos or graphic elements to draw the eye but be careful not to overdo the small space with too many elements.

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!

Gaining and Retaining Customers Is All About User Experience | Prescott, AZ

User experience is arguably the most important thing your website can offer. If a visitor has a bad experience navigating your website, they leave before they can absorb what you have to offer. Hiring an experienced website designer to consider your needs and produce an effective website for your business can make all the difference for user experience.

Navigation works to guide visitors through your services and enhance search engine optimization. Words such as “services” or “shop” don’t share what your business is about or work to accentuate your online presence. Utilizing popular key phrases for your navigation bar is an easy way to increase your page ranking online.

Most sites feature an abundance of information, products or services; how visitors work through these elements makes a difference in what they view. If you want visitors to focus on specific elements, you want them at the top of your navigation, not buried in a dropdown. How dropdown menus are organized matters as well; mega menus are more appealing than those broken down into smaller sections.

Mobile navigation is also crucial to the experience, especially as people start getting back out into the world and technology continues to advance. When your website is where you want it online, it’s important to take a deep dive into its mobile presence. Have a friend or two log onto your site from their phone and provide feedback; it’s okay if they “don’t understand” how websites are created - it’s actually better if they don’t. Raw, honest feedback about their user experience will help you decide how to adjust the mobile presentation of your services.

Limiting the amount of menu items serves visitors and search engines, so it’s important to evaluate what you have on offer and how it’s presented. A good rule of thumb is to keep your menu at or below seven. Ideally, each page on your website is optimized to be found as easily as possible for existing and potential consumers. Interior pages tend to get lost in the mix, but keeping things streamlined goes a long way in getting them found.

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 Guide Your Website Designer to Get the Results You Want | Prescott, AZ

Designers consider so many visual and background elements that they are generally unable to produce the best work without their client’s thoughts and desires being understood. When the client feels there is more direction needed to achieve their vision, they should feel comfortable expressing their thoughts. Here are some tips on how to effectively communicate with your designer to achieve the results you want.

Sources of Inspiration. Remember Pinterest? Think of the accumulation of your perfect website inspiration as a pin board. Gather it together; the colors, layouts, fonts, down to the cute accents - everything that makes you think “this is so my brand”. Designers are good at taking your laundry list of likes, dislikes, and “I want to like” and boiling them down into a presence your clients or customers will remember. More is more so bring it on!

Specifics. We hear from clients that they are timid about providing a designer with too much information or aesthetic direction. More times than not, an over-explanation of what you are seeking from your digital presence is more welcome than total creative freedom. Designers will take your list of must-haves, dreams, and desires and boil them into a cohesive presence.

Inquiries. There are times when elements of a website edit don't suit you, but you are unsure of how to proceed - that’s okay! It is the perfect time to ask your designer his or her thoughts on how to bring a given element to life or rethink your approach. The designer is your ally in making your digital presence enticing, cohesive, and user-friendly.

Design is a collaborative process. It’s going to take time and multiple edits to get it just right so take a deep breath and be a true creative partner - even when you don’t know the answer.

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!

Effective Ways to Enhance Your Website | Prescott, AZ

Believe it or not, you would rather a visitor to your website not notice the effort it took to create a great user experience than find it distracting or difficult to navigate. When the elements that make your website beautiful, navigable, and searchable, and leave clients or consumers coming back for more when a website is the most effective. The next time you visit your website or enlist the help of a website designer, consider whether or not your website is optimized in these ways.

Usability. User experience is a make-or-break element for every single potential customer and visitor to your site. You want your website to be intuitive, ADA compliant, and mobile friendly so anyone can visit and feel comfortable navigating your services wherever they are.

Aesthetic. Your website is part of your reputation; it’s important to coordinate with your designer on how to best present the elements that make your business unique. The visual appeal of the services or products your business offers is the first step to getting visitors to click through the rest of your website.

Content. A business owner may take “content” to mean the words, images, and presentation of e-commerce online. While this is what makes up the website, designers take it a step further, developing the background elements to those visuals that get them found online.

Visibility. You also want to link as many external pages back to your website as possible, things like social media biographies and a LinkedIn profile. Search engine optimization can be strung through the entire website to enhance your page ranking on Google, Firefox, and other search engines.

Engagement. The second challenge to getting eyes on your website is keeping visitors engaged. You want visitors to be interested in learning more about what you have to offer through design elements, videos, blogs, or any element that works to keep them coming back for more.

Interested in learning more about how to make your website stand out? Visit us online at jellywebsites.com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!

What You Need for Organic Website Traffic | Prescott, AZ

Websites are the first thing you should consider investing in when you start your business. It allows potential and existing clients or customers to find, learn about and follow your growth. There are many ways to promote your business to generate clicks and views, but don’t expect your website to generate organic traffic without these essential components.

Search engine optimization. First and foremost, it’s imperative to optimize the copy with keywords. To generate organic web traffic, you should be taking advantage of certain words to make it at the top of search engines. What keywords will your target audience need to use in order to find you? To find out, simply give it a Google and incorporate relevant tags into as much of your website as possible so it can pick up on it later.

Blogging. The content you add to a blog is very useful for SEO, keeping your visitors informed, and ranking you higher in search results. Blogs are also great for your visitors, it encourages them to visit regularly to discover new and interesting tidbits they may find useful.

Keep it clean. Oversaturated websites are not only confusing to navigate but are likely to cause them to leave your site. Keep your webpage to be easy to navigate, and less cluttered in order to keep your audience’s attention.

Link to social media. Social media has become a necessity for everyday life. Linking your website to a variety of platforms will help your customer base find your website, becoming potential customers or clients. For instance, having a Facebook “Like” or “Share” button on your webpage allows your visitors to follow or share your business without having to navigate away from the site.

Interested in learning more? 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!

Blogging for Discovery and Engagement | Prescott, AZ

Blogging is a great way to enhance your website’s search engine visibility, and keep visitors to your website updated on the latest news on your enterprise or within your field. Blogs can cover a range of topics from niche insights to the latest trends or research, and can even provide readers with a glimpse into how your values drive business decisions. Whatever you want to convey to your audience, captivating and informative blogs may be the addition you’ve been missing.

There are a few ways blogs work to enhance your discovery online and retain the interest of those who visit your website. We are proud to offer blogging services to our clients, employing copywriters at the top of their field to write research-backed, informative, and enticing blogs that enhance your visibility online.

Discovery

Add or increase your ability to get found by search engines through keywords written in blogs. 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.

Engagement

As visitors to your website or blog interact with it (click around, read content, etc.), the more favorable your service is over the competition. Why? The people who take time to read through and understand your practices, and philosophies or use your site to stay updated on the latest news are more likely to build a rapport. As they spend time on your website reading blogs, it increases the amount of engagement your site is getting which will allow it to rank higher on search result pages.

Interested in learning more, or want to incorporate a blog onto your website? Our developers, designers, and copywriters are here to help your business get found online. Visit us online at jellywebsites,com or call our team at 951.371.9327 today!