If you look back at websites that existed twenty years ago, they little resemble the ones that exist today. Even if you look back ten years, you would see many differences. That’s because people expect various website elements in different eras.

Website evolution continues. SEO drives it to some extent. SEO means search engine optimization. You must continually optimize your website in various ways to get the views and conversions you want.

If you have an eCommerce business model, driving site traffic must remain a top priority. That means having modern website elements that both your would-be customers and casual site visitors will expect.

We’ll talk about search-engine-optimized website development right now. It’s all about having certain features that will make your site look good when the Google crawlers look it over and rank it.

Calls to Action Above the Fold

You want someone who visits your site’s landing page to know why they’re there. If they’ve never visited before, you should tell them your site’s purpose without them looking around for it.

That means you should have your company’s name front and center when someone arrives at that landing page. You should have a logo as well. It should show clearly and distinctly your company’s intention and why you exist.

You should also have a call to action above the fold on your landing page. The term “above the fold” means you don’t have to scroll down to see vital elements on the page.

The call to action might mention buying something, following your company on social media, signing up for your email list, or whatever else you want from them. You want a compelling argument that tells them why they should take the action you want.

Having clear, concise copy can help. You can use short, declarative sentences. You might incentivize the visitor to do what you want by offering them a special coupon, discount, or free item if they buy multiple items, sign up for your mailing list, or whatever else you feel helps your company the most.

Social Media Buttons

You will also want to have social media buttons on your landing page. You may have those above the fold as well.

You should use social media, regardless of what services you offer or products you sell. You might not use all the platforms. You must do some research and figure out what platforms your most likely customers use. You might utilize YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and others.

Someone can easily follow you if they click a social media button. A few years ago, social media didn’t have the prevalence that it does today. It’s certainly a necessity now, though, and the Google crawlers will like seeing that you’re using this modern marketing technique.

Inbound and Outbound Links

You should have plentiful inbound and outbound links on your website. Ideally, you should have some on every page, though you should space them out so they don’t look cluttered.

Inbound links go from one page on your website to a different page within your site. You should have links in logical places.

Outbound links go from your site to a different website. That might seem counterintuitive since you don’t want people leaving your site. However, the web crawlers like seeing both outbound and inbound links.

You should look at your link structure frequently. Make sure that you don’t feature any broken links or ones that go to spammy sites. You want links that work, and your outbound ones must go to reputable websites.

Professional-Quality Pictures, Slideshows, and Videos

You will want to have professional-quality photos on your site. You should have some on each page. You shouldn’t use stock photos, as those look generic and probably won’t reveal much about your brand, products, or services.

You can take the photos yourself if you have some skill in that area. You may also hire a professional photographer if you don’t have the skills or time. You can showcase pictures on your site that feature your products, services, employees, and anything else you think helps makes the site more welcoming and engaging.

You can hire a videographer as well. They can shoot some short explainer videos that show your products in action or your factory making them. They might shoot some videos in your stores or at street fairs where you have a booth.

You might have a slideshow on the landing page that shows many of your workers, products, storefronts, etc. That slideshow can entice your visitors. They’ll want to learn more about your company this way if they don’t know much about it yet.

Humans like compelling visual elements, and pictures, videos, and slideshows deliver in that department. You can have text as well, but nobody likes big blocks of text without any visual aids.

A Blog

You can add a blog to your site. Most companies have one. There, you can talk about topics having to do with your niche.

You might write the blogs yourself if you have expertise in your niche and you also have the time. You may also hire a professional copywriter. You can give them some blog topics and have them create some original content.

It’s best to hire someone who knows about your niche already, but some skilled copywriters can also write convincingly about a topic if they just research it first. When you have a blog on your website, that’s one way you can show your visitors that you know all about your industry. You can establish your expertise that way.

You can also have fresh content on your website weekly if you have an active blog. The Google crawlers like new content. You can’t have a site where you never add any content or you only do so every few months. That will cause your site to drop in the SERPs.

If you incorporate all of these elements, you should do well since they’ll help your SEO goals.

About the Author

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Mirko Humbert

Mirko Humbert is the editor-in-chief and main author of Designer Daily and Typography Daily. He is also a graphic designer and the founder of WP Expert.