The world wide web has developed into a real jungle and finding new cool websites has become increasingly harder. If you own a website yourself, you'll know that getting noticed is also getting harder and at some point you may scratch your head and wonder if there is anything you can do to become more popular.
The good news is that there most certainly is! Below I have listed 5 points that you can use to build up your websites popularity and increase your online visibility.
Web Hosting
The first point is aimed mainly at those of you who don't yet have their own website but are very keen to build one. After you have selected your websites URL you will need to choose a web hosting package. There are many different packages to choose from and they will cover a wide range of specifications. Outline exactly what it is that you will require from your website. Choose a host that will enable you to have a professional looking website up and running in minimal time. A reliable and well-maintained hosting service is imperative if you want to grow your presence on the web and become popular amongst website users.
Finding a compatible host though is often easier said than done. The website hosting industry has grown and grown over the years and the different hosting packages on offer can have you scratching your head. Seek out a hosting company that has a good reputation and a long history in the business. Visit their website and read references and appraisals. If the site doesn't have any, I suggest you look elsewhere.
Does the hosting company offer 24/7 support? Have they got a support ticket system that is free to use? Make sure they don't have an expensive premium-rate telephone number for service calls, this could prove very costly over the length of time that you use them. Choose a hosting company that has an easy to understand series of plans that makes sense, even to a novice.
Website Optimisation
Having a cool website is all very well and good, but if you do not rank highly in search engines results pages (SERPs) then no one will know you are there and your plans of a successful website will quickly evaporate. To make sure you get noticed in all the major search engines, you will have to carry out some search engine optimisation (SEO) on your website. SEO covers a vast number of elements and someone new to the subject can be easily intimidated, but with a little time and effort you'll soon start to see the benefits as your website becomes more prominent in SERPs.
When beginning with SEO for your website it is important to identify relevant keywords and always bear your visitors in mind when you are writing the content for it. Keyword density is an important element in SEO and when done correctly can reap huge rewards.
Another important consideration with search engine optimisation is back links, these are links from other peoples websites pointing to yours. Search engines consider these links as votes and the more votes you have the more popular your site is deemed to be. Back linking must be seen as being natural so spend a little time engaging with websites that are relevant to yours and guest blog or comment. If you have something worthwhile and interesting to say, you will soon build up a nice portfolio of incoming links from like-minded users who want to share what you have to say.
Social Networking is Here to Stay
Despite search engine optimisation being a major factor with your site's optimisation, you shouldn't stop there. Social media is fast becoming just as important and has developed into a very powerful online marketing medium. A social media strategy should include the following; make sure the content on your website or blog is relevant to your core subject and up to date. Visit websites that share a common interest and join in the conversation by leaving forum and blog comments; don't be afraid to share your knowledge and opinions. Make full use of Facebook and Twitter and provoke debate; give users a reason to re-visit your website.
Get Involved - It's good to talk
Making visitors to your website feel involved is a sure-fire way to ensure repeated visits, write your content from a personal point of view and pose questions that users will want to answer. Holding competitions is an effective way to get people talking about your site; the prize doesn't have to be spectacular as most people like to compete regardless of the award.
Everyone likes to air their views, so give visitors the opportunity to do so. Your online conversations could go viral and be picked up by local media or even better.
Usability is Key
Spending a little time to think out your websites design will reap huge benefits and should not be underestimated. A well designed website that is easy to navigate will instil trust from your users and encourage re-visits. Before you put the site live invite friends and family to test it and take note of their views. Do some research by visiting other websites and compile a list of good and bad points regarding aesthetics and usability. A badly performing website will deter re-visits and leave you out in the cold.
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