Thinking of launching a new website or a blog? Well, good idea! Read on to check basic tips on how to make sure: my website rocks!
If its your first site, then you are bound make some errors or blunders (in some cases). This is normal and natural, so do not FRET!
Before I elaborate on materialistic stuff, there is some spiritual stuff one should find within oneself. Well, I am not preaching! I mean, one should be honest and have focus on the website that being setup or managed.
This will ensure long life of a your web concern, besides will get you money with loyal user-base. Here are few essential tips that will help make your web concern a success:
1. Reason for setting up a website:
Every thing you do in life has a reason and motive behind it. Even people have girlfriend/boyfriend for some specific, don’t they? Accordingly, reasons could vary from person to person and may include: simply earn money, share knowledge, vent out emotions through your blog, recognition etc.
Make sure, you know why you are making a website or blog before you actually have one.
2. Identify your audience:
You should be absolutely clear about the target audience that is likely to visit your site. You cannot expect 8 years old kid to visit a serious tech discussion site, he will prefer pogo at any given day.
This fact assumes more importance, as you need to modify and present content based on the profile of your audience. For example, a kids site will have flashy and colorful graphics, why? its a kid site… right!
3. Clean Site design:
Website design and structure is very important. One should not overload site with graphics unless required. Make sure you have a standard theme and color combination set for whole of the site.
4. Fast Loading:
If your site’s homepage does not load in about 7 seconds, then you had it! Since, most of the traffic comes from search engines, people will tend to move to other site in case your site does not load quickly.
Best way to ensure this is: optimised images on the site to lower size. Also, make sure CSS styling and coding is proper and efficient. Keep ads to minimum to earn decent and give better user experience.
5. Sitemap and Navigation:
Site structure should allow user to search for topic he/she is looking for. Best way to address this is: having a clean navigational structure and contents put in separate and meaningful categories.
6. Interact with Audience:
If you run a blog or community site, then interaction is must. One should promptly reply to user questions and provide ‘point of view’ to topic of discussions. This will keep user interest LIVE.
7. Advertise & Link exchange:
For a new and small sites signing up for advertisement is not a viable option. Best way to advertise FREE include: link exchange with similar site, comment on other sites, post content on forums, RSS exchange and much more.
8. Do not Overload:
Having loads of content on a single page can lead to bad user experience. There will be lack of focus in this regard. Make sure you keep the focus on the main content of a specific page and secondary information should be kept to bare minimum.
9. Track your Visitors:
So, you have setup site and getting good traffic: now the real work stars. It is very important that you track user behaviour in terms of: unique views, page views, referring sites, search engine referral, clicks etc.
You can easily track such things by using online tools like Google Analytics, Feed Burner PRO stat etc. I like these 2 tools, because they are efficient and free!
10. Content is King:
If you have all of the above, but do not have useful content: then no one can help you. Site with unique and useful content gets recognition and more visitors. You approach should not be of Bang…Bang.
Slowly develop user loyalty to your site. I am sure, after you have some dedicated user base you web concern will Rock N Roll. However, this is easier said and done.
Best of luck to all the people planning some cool websites or blogs. I am sure, I missed many other points. But then, you can always comment here and share some more useful information. Cheers!
