UO (User Optimization) is Just As Important As SEO

The first rule of building a website is that a website needs to be built for the searchers and users first. It’s impossible to ignore the search engines and their demands required to rise to the top in any sort of timely manner, but what makes for being overly SERP friendly and user friendly do not always mesh well. The following are some basic tips on how to meet both goals and help your site succeed. If you don’t play the game at both ends of the court, you can’t win.

Analytics is a must for any website that you plan to monetize – whether that is right away or down the road. If you cannot track visitors, mash data and collect information on who visits, how they get there and what they do upon arrival then you are fighting blind. If you insist on fighting blind then you are going to fail miserably.

A banner or logo that immediately draws attention and reassures visitors that they are in the right place is a great start, but don’t go crazy allowing it to dominate the page. Keep it simple and avoid the flash. Balance your page.  It is important to leave some space to keep it easy on the eye. Use an easy to read font, a muted background and a balance between text and graphics. 250-350 words is completely adequate for a home page. Too much is overkill, too little and your page will be lost in the shuffle.

Make sure that you can easily update or change any step you take. Redirects should be a snap, and new pages should be added easily. Decide on a format for your urls and stick to it. You don’t want to depend on redirects, but when they are needed they are needed. Your page titles, header tags and meta descriptions are a chance to optimize and sell your site. Take advantage of this! Write sharp, to the point copy to take advantage of this opportunity.

Make sure your contact information is easy to find! Your phone number, business hours, etc should be clearly noted, especially if you have a location that might pick up foot traffic from web search! Use bullet points or short paragraphs like this article to make reading easier and finding the relevant information a breeze. This can let you fully describe things without getting cluttered or cramped. If you provide a sign up, subscription, follow us or contact form, ask only for what you really need, and make sure your privacy policy is clear. Keep people comfortable and feeling like they can trust you to protect their data.

These basic steps will help your website succeed. As you learn more, you can tweak things, but this is a good start!