SEO… any business worth its salt online will already know that in order to establish a digital presence and get their website in front of their target market, they need to focus on search engine optimisation and do all the necessary bits and bobs required to get them that much-coveted page one position for their chosen search terms. (Don’t worry! The Ad Rank One team can help you with this if you’re struggling to move up the rankings!)
But there’s another online marketing campaign strategy that is just as important and certainly not one that should be ignored if you want to get to page one, stay there and bring new customers through the digital doorway on a regular basis – and that’s search user optimisation (SUO).
Of course, there are crossovers between the two but the fundamental difference is that SEO is aimed at search engines and SUO is aimed at people, although focusing on the latter will definitely help you with your SEO, as well… so it’s a win-win for all!
Even if you’ve made it to page one and are ticking all the SEO boxes left, right and centre, you may still find that your conversion rate is low – which is a big indication that your site’s user experience is getting in the way of unparalleled business success.
Optimising for people involves creating memorable experiences on your site so that potential customers remain engaged with your brand, signing up to mailing lists, buying your products and enlisting your services… which is what it’s all about, after all!
So what can you do about it? Well, the good news is that there’s a lot you can do to make improvements in this regard – so here are a few top tips from the SEO experts at Ad Rank One to help you do just that.
Focus on page load speed
We’ve all been on websites that take forever to load a page. What’s the first thing you do when you encounter something like this? You click off, of course.
Competition is rife on the internet and if your site doesn’t produce the goods immediately (within two seconds or thereabouts!), people won’t hang around for the page to load. They’ll simply pop off to one of your competitors and spend their money there instead.
While you might be tempted by a beautifully designed site, a more minimalist approach means your pages will load quicker and people will be more engaged.
Embrace white space
While white space on a webpage can represent a good advertising opportunity, this could actually be getting in the way of the overall user experience of your site. White space can make your content pop and really stand out, allowing people to see what you do at a glance, while making the site as a whole feel fresh and contemporary.
Avoid stock photography
Stock photos can seem like a nice and quick easy win when it comes to web design, but the flipside of the coin is that it can actually decrease trust in your brand.
Remember that consumers are a savvy bunch these days and they can spot a stock photo from a mile away – so if you can, use original photos to shout about your goods and services. You could see a big uptick in engagement if you do.
Make content readable
Whether you’re working on your next big blog post or just producing some copy for the various pages on your site, the key is to make it as readable as you can – and this doesn’t come down to just the words you use.
There are all sorts of ways you can make content easier to read, whether you keep your paragraphs short, use subheadings to separate ideas, feature bullet point lists or some other formatting tricks of the trade to keep people engaged and reading on.
Of course, these are just a few hints and tips to help you improve the user experience of your site. If you need any further help or advice, get in touch with us today!