Almost every consumer begins their search for a product or service online. In today's world, not having a website is therefore almost the same as being invisible to your target audience. However, the fact that billions of websites exist does not make it any easier for you as an entrepreneur to reach that target audience. So, in a world where everyone is online, how do you still make a difference compared to your competitors? With a good website!
And that sounds logical, of course. As a website owner, you probably trust that you possess a good website; a nice online business card on which you clearly display what your services are. However, the quality of the website is not always visible from the outside. That quality depends on several factors:
- Search engine friendliness (SEO)
- Mobile-friendliness
- Usability
- Used technologies
- Social presence/involvement
- Local presence/involvement
There is no single answer to the question of when a website can be considered good. Whether your website is successful naturally depends on, among other things, your target audience and the goals you have in mind. However, at Best4u we do make use of our website scan (which you can use entirely free of charge, by the way) to give entrepreneurs an indication of the status of their website. The scan checks a website against all the above-mentioned factors.
By performing a website scan, you measure your website against the most important online requirements. To give you more insight into the key components of a good website (and thus the elements the scan checks your website against), we will briefly discuss these factors in this article. Entrepreneurs who have their website scanned receive – in addition to a comprehensive report – an accompanying white paper that discusses these components in detail.
Search engine friendliness (SEO)
A beautiful website is step one. The second, equally important step is making your website findable. The website scan assesses the state of SEO and therefore the elements that are important for achieving a better position in Google. These include the meta description, headings, alt attributes, broken links, redirects, robots, TXT files, and the XML sitemap. All these elements contribute to your website's findability in Google. After all, an SEO campaign can only yield results if your website is well optimized on the aforementioned technical points.
Mobile-friendliness
If you consider that more than half of all online search traffic comes from a mobile device We can safely state that your website must be mobile-friendly to achieve success. A mobile-friendly – responsive – website scales with the device on which it is viewed. This satisfies not only your mobile visitor but also Google. The search engine has been experimenting with a mobile-first index since 2016, giving priority to websites optimized for mobile use in search results. Moreover, it is not inconceivable that a mobile-only index will be introduced by the search engine within the next few years.
The website scan therefore checks whether a responsive version of your website exists and also checks the readability of your content, touchscreen readiness (such as the size of your buttons), speed, compatibility (whether the content can be viewed on all devices), and the viewport (how the web page looks on a mobile device).
Usability
Visitors to your website should be able to find their way as easily as possible. Is your website's design functional and is the content clear? What style and functionalities are needed to ensure that your website is optimally user-friendly for your audience?
In addition to functionality, design, and content, there are many other factors that influence the usability of your website. Consider, for example, the length and content of your URL, the presence of a custom 404 page, page size, load time, and language. The website scan examines all these components and includes them in the final assessment.
Used technologies
A website is built using various technologies, also known as coding. Each functional technology has its own method of structure/coding. For example, WordPress is built in PHP. A WordPress website is, in turn, built in HTML. All these functional technologies depend on each other to function. Correct coding of your website is important for its readability.
In addition, a good website is equipped with SSL security for an encrypted connection. The website scan checks whether an SSL certificate is present, whether the website is built using the correct technologies, and whether an Analytics tool is available. This provides you with insights into, among other things, conversions, where your visitors come from, which pages are viewed frequently, and the success of advertisements.
Social presence/involvement
The website scan examines the extent to which you are social and thus create engagement with your audience. After all, through social media, you can reach a huge audience and involve your customers in your activities. In this way, you can build a network of loyal fans. This can be done via Facebook, for example, but your activities on Google+, Google My Business, Twitter, and Instagram also help you to promote your brand, improve your position in search engine results, and communicate with your network.
Thoughtful social media usage can be of great value to your business. The results of the website scan provide a solid foundation for expanding your social network and your social media strategy.
Local presence/involvement
Mentions in local referrals are of great importance to your position in Google search results. After all, millions of people search for local businesses via Google and Google Maps every day. The website scan examines in which local referrals your business can be found and what the most recent online reviews say about your business. Positive feedback is of great value for influencing hesitant consumers. It allows you to project trust and honesty.
And, is your website 'good'?
The above components therefore play a role in assigning a certain value to a website. Do you want to know if your website is a good one? Then take our free website scan via this page.