Quick quiz, hot shot! You just realized your best friend’s birthday is in a week. It’s a big one, and you’re going to need the gift that absolutely cements your BFF status. Your pal just happens to be a massive fan of New Kids On The Block. You look up tickets to their tour. You double check that it’s 2024, and yes, NKOTB is touring! But the stars are not aligned. They blew past your town three weeks ago. So, it’s off to the internet to sleuth that pitch perfect present. 

Somewhere, on the other side of cyberspace sits the New Kids On The Crocs custom Jonathan Knight Croc-toppers that your friend would die if she owned (she gardens, go figure).

But this is not a story of triumph. Because New Kids On The Crocs’ site is hot garbage. It’s sitting somewhere on the eighth page of organic google results. It takes forever to load. The mobile site has never worked. There’s not even a working search feature so users can get those in-demand Joey McIntyre napkin rings! So, how do you ensure your site is a bit more T-Swift? We have some ideas:

Speed Is More Than A Thirty Year Old Movie

In today’s fast-paced world, every second counts. If your website takes more than two seconds to load, nearly half your potential traffic moves on. This means potential revenue is leaving your site at terminal velocity. (Yes, that’s another thirty year old movie reference, you’re welcome.) 

Some quick fixes for you: To improve your site’s speed, start by optimizing your images. Large, uncompressed images can really slow things down, so use compression tools to reduce the file size without losing quality. Also, check your hosting plan. If you’re on a shared plan, it might be time to consider a dedicated or cloud-based solution. Lastly, clean up your code by removing unnecessary scripts and plugins.

The Mobile Web Matters More Than You Think

With over half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial. If your site isn’t optimized for iPhones and Androids, you’re essentially hanging up on the leads that would otherwise be browsing!

If it’s been a while since your site’s been built? It’s time for a refresh. Use a responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes and orientations. Simplify your navigation for mobile users with clear, concise menus and easily tappable buttons. And, just as with desktop users, mobile users expect quick load times, so make sure your mobile site is speedy by using accelerated mobile pages (AMP) and compressing mobile content.

Do You Want the Cadillac Or The Steak Knives? 

Your website’s main goal is to convert visitors into customers (more often than not..). Without a clear, compelling call-to-action (CTA), your visitors bounce, and you’re left high and dry. Whether it’s “Book Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Buy Now,” your CTA should be prominent and persuasive. Remember, coffee is for closers. 

To create an effective CTA, be specific about what you want visitors to do. Use action-oriented language like “Get Started” or “Learn More.” Make sure buttons stand out with contrasting colors, larger fonts, and strategic placement. Adding a sense of urgency, like “Limited Time Offer” or “Only a Few Spots Left,” can also encourage immediate action. Remember: A/B testing is your friend. 

The 1993 Honda Civic Is Not Coming Back In Style, and Neither Is Your Site

Your website reflects your brand’s professionalism and credibility. An outdated or unprofessional design can instantly erode trust, causing potential customers to question the quality of your products or services.

If you’re not refreshing your site every couple of years, your customers will notice. This means having up-to-date features (like a site search, AI customer service chat bots, responsive design, etc.), and something that always feels fresh. The internet is the world’s shopping mall. The last thing you want is the store across the way snagging your target market simply because they’ve painted the walls a nicer color, right? It means building a strategy and budget to keep things fresh.

Google Yourself. No, Seriously Do It!

A beautiful, user-friendly website, updated regularly, and chock full of features is useless if no one can find it. Without a solid SEO strategy, your site will be buried in search results, making it invisible to potential customers, and punching you right in the pocketbook. In order to combat this? You need Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In short, the content across your website should be readable by Google (and yes, other search engines…) in such a manner that your company is included in the conversations it wants to be in.

To enhance your SEO, start with keyword research to identify what your target audience is searching for. Use these keywords strategically throughout your content. Optimize your site’s titles, meta descriptions, headers, and content for these keywords. Building a network of high-quality backlinks from reputable sites will also improve your search engine rankings.

Like so many a program, SEO requires you devise a strategy, execute it, and then continuously pull the data down for analysis. Rinse, and repeat. 

The Right Stuff (Wrapping It Up)

Smoother than Danny Wood doing the running man, your website can start generating the leads and revenue you desire — when you ensure you’re doing the right stuff (oh oh oh-oh-oh). In short, be sure you’re:

• Improving load times by optimizing images, upgrading hosting, and cleaning up your code.
• Ensuring mobile optimization with responsive design, simplified navigation, and fast load times.
• Using clear, compelling CTAs to guide visitors toward action.
• Keeping your design modern, clean, and consistent to build trust.
• Developing a solid SEO strategy with keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.

And as always… if you have questions how your site stacks up? Don’t be a stranger. Save yourself a’googlin’ and just reach out. ALX performs a fancy heuristic evaluation of your site, and produces a usable report in only a day. That means you can get yourself on track this week.