To amateur web developers and designers, the priority, when it comes to creating a professional-looking web design is often graphics, layouts and cool visual effects. However, the user experience and functionality are far more pivotal to the success of websites. Just think of all the times you’ve visited a website and felt the frustration of trying to navigate warped images and pages which don’t load properly.

There are plenty of pitfalls for businesses owners to fall into when experimenting with web design, running an unresponsive and slow website is one of the most common.

As more and more people have started to use their smartphones and tablets to browse the web, the necessity of running a mobile-optimised and responsive website can make or break businesses. If your potential clients and customers load up a slow, low-quality, zoomed in or impossible to navigate website, they will quickly look elsewhere. In the 21st-century, the quality of your web presence is a reflection of the quality of your business.

We have outlined 5 of the main reasons why it is crucial for businesses to invest in a high-quality responsive website:

1. Unresponsive web design can slow down your site traffic
In 2016, mobile browsing officially became more popular than desktop browsing, this technological shift meant that plenty of businesses had to quickly adapt to cater to the new consumer needs and expectations with mobile optimised designs. Most mobile web browsers have no issues abandoning unresponsive websites. In 2021, creating separate mobile and desktop pages is no longer a requirement, it is now possible to build websites which are responsive to all devices and screen sizes.

2. Improved responsiveness leads to better SEO
If you want your website to be seen, you’ll want to make sure that it is search engine friendly. SEO friendly websites have the best chances of appearing high in google search results, this is the best way of driving organic traffic to your website.

The SEO ranking of your website depends on a myriad of factors such as keywords and content, however, a major factor is the responsiveness of your website. This is why it pays to invest in web design packages which equip you with websites which are responsive on all devices.

If you want the best chance of beating the competition on Google search rankings, you’ll need to make it easy for Google to explore your website as well as your potential clients and customers.

3. You’ll give your potential customers VIP treatment
First impressions are as important as ever, that hasn’t changed, only how we make those important first impressions has changed in recent years. Business owners now depend on their websites to introduce potential clients to their brand, business or services – it is your perfect chance to prove that you care about your clients’ user experience.

By allowing a professionally made website to greet your customers, your customers will be reassured that the rest of your services will match that standard. If it looks like you haven’t put all too much consideration into your web presence, this will allow visitors to believe that you take the same approach to the rest of your business!

We live in the age of snap judgements, but this can work in your favour; your website is the perfect tool to prove how you set yourself apart from the rest. The customer may always be right, but that doesn’t mean that they always know what they are looking for when they search the web, it is up to your website to present them with what they have been searching for.

4. High-quality web design leads to higher conversion rates
Creating a fast website which is instantly responsive with all devices is a sure-fire way to boost conversion rates. So, along with more visibility on search engines and showing that your business is dedicated to offering the best user experiences, you’ll also find that more people do what you want them to do on your webpage.

It isn’t just speed which bodes well with potential customers, but seamless navigation too.

Whether you’re running a webstore or just directing clients and customers to get in touch, the easier you make the process of navigating your website, the more likely it will be that they finish the action and complete the shopping cart or fill out your contact form.

5. Watch your bounce rate fall with a premium web presence
A high bounce rate doesn’t just lead to a loss of sales and conversions, it can also negatively impact how visible your web page is to web browsers.

Every time a customer clicks away from your site without making a purchase or completing an action, Google will assume that your web page cannot resolve the browsers needs. This will lead to your website being demoted in Google search rankings – no matter how high the quality on your on-site SEO. As you descend in the ranks, your competition and similar businesses will ascend.

Are you looking to go pro with your web design?
If you’re ready to improve your web presence with a responsive web design our professional web design team located on the Gold Coast are happy to answer all your queries and run you through the details of our affordable web design plans.

We work with local and global businesses to raise their platform to the highest possible level. We know that one size definitely doesn’t fit all, which is why our web designers’ assess the individual needs of each business owner before finding the best way to present you to the digital world.

We know that staying ahead of the trend means staying ahead of the competition, we’ll give your businesses a great head start so your business can hit the ground running.

Source: https://rent-a-website.com.au/web-design-blog/why-responsive-web-design-is-important-for-your-business

This is where you can see the biggest impact on your local SEO. Create a Google My Business (GMB) listing and be as thorough as possible. Ensure every possible data point is filled out and is consistent (have a consistent phone number and address anywhere your business may be found). GMB acts as an online Yellow Pages for your business and is a very important ranking factor for Google.

Be sure to keep your GMB up to date with new information, reviews and even social media posts. For many, your GMB listing will be the first time a prospective customer will discover your business, so it’s crucial that you make a good first impression.

Great Local Content

Creating great content is always important for SEO, but you need to take that a step further when dealing with local SEO. Here you need to focus on building local authority and establish your business as a thought leader of the community. This means you need to focus on targeting local keywords and covering local issues with your content.

Using tools like Google Trends is a great way to uncover what topics are currently trending in your region so that you can act fast and create some fantastic content that will help establish your local authority.

Focus on Reviews

Reviews can make or break a local business. They act as a digital version of word-of-mouth that naturally helps prospective customers understand your business’s qualities and value. But they are also a hugely important ranking factor for Google to help understand how to rank your business. That’s why it’s so important to both acquire more reviews as well as manage the reviews you do get.

A great way to encourage reviews is with a follow up email to customers after they have purchased with a gentle encouragement to leave a review and include instructions on how to leave a review on Google.

If you ever get a negative review, don’t ignore it! Tackle it head on by responding to it asking how you can improve or what measures you’ve taken to ensure the issue is resolved.

Build Local Links

Link Building has long been the foundation of SEO and remains one of the most important ranking factors. For local SEO, you want to adjust this strategy to focus on local links. A good start is creating great local content as we mentioned before. You can also reach out to local newspapers or media with business news that may be of interest to the local community.

You can also do a search for local area directories, but only consider the sites you find on the first 3 pages of the SERPs. Many of them will probably be a free listing option, so take advantage of that. Local associations, accreditations and business groups are also a good way to show the search engines that you are credible and active in the local community. Make a list of these groups and check out their websites’ for a members listing page, then email and find out how you can also be listed here with a link to your website.

Another idea is to talk to your business suppliers and applicable business customers who have websites. Many of these contacts may have a “Partners” page or “Suppliers” page on their website where they could mention and add a link to your site. These links are great for local SEO link sourcing and relationship building, because you are working to nurture real relationships and build your local authority online. However, try to make sure that your links are placed with some contextual relevance and not barely visible in the footer area.

Improve Your Internal Link Structure

Besides building your external link opportunities to boost your SEO, you also want to improve your internal link structure. Your internal links help support your website navigation, as well as assisting with information architecture and website hierarchy. Internal links also help distribute page authority and ranking power among your website pages.

In Google’s own words:

“Some pages are known because Google has already crawled them before. Other pages are discovered when Google follows a link from a known page to a new page.”

So, using optimised internal links is a great way of allowing Google to regularly discover relevant content on your website, as well as demonstrating the contextual relationship between the two pages. Internal links are arguably one of the most neglected link building strategies in SEO marketing, so don’t underestimate the impact of developing an optimised internal link structure to boost your SEO in general and specifically in your local area.

Summary

If you aren’t optimising for local SEO, then your business is missing out on a huge number of potential customers. By implementing these tips, your business opens itself up to a huge amount of local traffic.

SEO Plans are a highly respected authority on local SEO Gold Coast digital marketing and link building. To learn how they can help grow your business, check out SEO Plans today!

Source: https://seoagencygoldcoast.populiser.com/