Here at Honest PPC we like to think we know a good thing when we see it, so here are a few simple things to do and not to do with your site.

Believe it or not, there are many little things that may not seem important to the untrained eye, but which can be extremely detrimental to the overall performance of your practice’s website.

In no particular order, here are some of the website bloopers we think you should avoid if you want to maximize the potential of your site:

Don’t Advertise Your Website Until It’s Ready To Roll!

Having a website that comes up “under construction” or “coming soon!” won’t do you any favors in terms of SEO rankings and isn’t going to attract any traffic – so why bother? There really is no point, especially if you are advertising “coming soon!” but don’t actually arrive for months. Anyone who may have been looking forward to seeing your site will very likely be turned off if they keep seeing that message. Instead, double your efforts to get your website constructed and out there!

It’s Not Music To Their Ears!

Music that plays automatically when someone clicks on the home page of your site we mean. This is a big turn-off we have found from experience. Although it may seem like a really cool idea from your perspective, listen to the advice; don’t do it! It’s an assault on the senses that is not welcome.

Be Descriptive, Not Prescriptive!

In other words, don’t simply rely on “click here” as a way of linking to other sections of your site or to other affiliate sites or companion web pages. For one thing, “click here” doesn’t register at all well on the search engines simply because surfers aren’t typing “click here” in the search box! “For More Information” or “To See Why” or “A Good Example” and similar phrases are better, but if you can use your important keywords or other related terms, now you are getting closer to the big leagues.

Update…Before It’s Too Late!

This applies to the simple task of making sure you keep your footer dateline fresh and up-to-date. Why? For the very simple reason that your website will seem ancient and very much out of touch with the modern world if it appears to have been left to stagnate. It’s also lazy and shows lack of care and pride with your website. After all, websites are extensions of ourselves and our business ideals, as well as serving a marketing purpose. Love your site, and care for it with the attention to detail that it deserves.

Sell the Steak with Just A Little Sizzle

So don’t do it…over-use Flash animations, that is. We know it’s tempting, but creating a website that is heavy on Flash is just too…well, flashy! Less is more and Flash animation has proven to be far more effective in small doses, used sparingly but with far greater impact. In addition, rich media-heavy sites can make your site load more slowly, which is absolutely a ranking factor that the search engines use.

So, there you have it, just a few easy-to-do “best practices” to keep in mind when designing and maintaining your business website.