Clik here to view.
Michael Curia
By: Michael Curia – Bayshore Solutions’ Project Management Team
Launching a new website is great achievement and is typically full of a sense of relief and accomplishment, but what’s next? Your website and the digital assets need to be an ever evolving and growing marketing tool.
Outlined below are five key initiatives to help your website growth strategy:
First: (And foremost!) Be sure your website is configured and optimized correctly.
Configuration
- No Index turned off
- Robot.txt file
- XML Sitemap
- HTML Sitemap
- Install Google Analytics
- 301 Redirects
Optimization
- Site load time
- Unique page titles
- Unique meta tags
- Alt text for image
- Schema data/rich snippets
- Clickable phone number
- SEO friendly and lower case urls
- Use of one H1 on a page
Second: Create a Content Strategy
This consists of plan for implementing content updates, content marketing items, and social media posts throughout the course of the next several months.
Content Updates
- Google places a higher relevance on pages that are regularly updated so be sure that there is a strategy in place to be updated and refining content on your website’s most important pages
Content Marketing
- Mark Teague did a great job explaining content creation and items in his Content Marking Initiates for 2014 podcast: http://www.bayshoresolutions.com/blog/bloggingpodcasts/content-marketing-initiatives-2014/
Including:- Blog
- Video
- Infographics
- Slideshare.net
Social Media Posts and Promotion
- With the creation and release of content items outlined above should be promoted through social media platforms to promote content, present your organization as a thought leader, engage users, and drive traffic.
- Social media platforms vary based on your target audience, but typically it recommended to engage with at least four of the big six social media networks:
- YouTube
- Want to learn more about social media platforms and which are right for your business check out How to Grow Your Business in Six Social Media Networks blog article:
http://www.bayshoresolutions.com/blog/social-networking/six-social-networks-to-grow-your-business/
Third: A/B Testing
This consists of creating multiple versions of a website page and testing engagement to see what is most successful.
Why aren’t you doing A/B testing? In regards to A/B testing (I believe) this is the most underutilized and underappreciated strategies in website development. Most initial website designs are based on assumed user experience. By simply doing A/B testing in Google or within your content management system you can test those initial design assumptions. With this testing you are able to quantify engagement, bounce rate, and/or conversion rate associated with the page layout. These results will ultimately assist you in improving user experience within your website.
Fourth: Chart Your Roadmap
This consists of creating a long term strategy associated with additional website functionality needed based on customer requests, how users are interacting with the site, new technology, or professional recommendations.
Creating a roadmap is really defining what functionality the website needs on a go forward basis. By creating a roadmap and breaking the functionality into future phases you can work with your web development team to create technology solutions and tools.
Fifth: Monitor and Adapt
Things are ever involving in the digital space. If you look at the explosion of use of cell phones and tablets for website browsing as a primary example, this technology was barely an afterthought a few years ago.
It is important to understand that optimization for websites, engaging content, and user experience/conversions will continue to evolve. Be sure to plan to maintain and grow these through constantly monitoring and adapting to what is successful.
By following these five steps you will be able to continue to grow your digital presence and engage your customers.
Interested in learning more about how Bayshore Solutions can create a successful digital presence for your company? Contact Us today!
Michael Curia is a Senior Project Manager at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.