The primary purpose of any website is to connect with an audience. However, to reach that audience, they have to be able to find you. That’s why search engine optimization is so important, and for SEO to be most effective, it needs to be an integral part of the design process. So, before you begin building your website, you should ask yourself these important SEO questions.
5 SEO Discovery Questions to Ask When Building a Website
If you want to get the most from your website, ask yourself these questions before you begin a new build or start a redesign.
Who is my audience?
To fully understand how you should design your website, you must first understand the audience you are trying to reach. Consider elements such as size (how large or small is your target base?), demographics (who are they, and what are their various statuses?), and what makes them act on marketing. Digital marketing means little if it is not resulting in new customer conversions, and to reach new customers, you must know who they are.
Who are my competitors?
Your digital competitors consist mainly of 3 groups: your search competitors, who focus on the same keywords as you, your business competitors, who provide the same service as you, and your cross-industry competitors, who reach your audience’s needs indirectly. You must be familiar with all 3 groups in order to compete with them.
What is my value proposition?
Your value proposition is the mission statement of your company/website. It summarizes your end goal and vision for converting and helping satisfied consumers.
How can I best communicate my value proposition?
To reach your target audience, you must communicate your value proposition to them. They will not be aware that you can meet their needs unless you say so in your digital marketing. Your value proposition and your method of communication must be decided before beginning the website design, as both will drastically affect the look and feel of the website.
What will be my main content source?
Much of your website design and build depends on the content you will be promoting. Layout your content ahead of time. Will you be presenting videos? Will there be blogs? Having a plan regarding your marketing techniques and the content will help you build a website that is user-friendly for whatever you are promoting.
Additionally, there are some more tangible items to think about before building your website. Consider the following tips:
- Use a simple URL structure.
- If you are receiving payments, use HTTPS, rather than HTTP.
- Languages should honor the target audience.
- Take the time to optimize page speed.
- Site flexibility is important for editing down the line.
- Your site should be machine-readable to ensure that crawlers can locate keywords and other elements of SEO.
Making the right SEO decisions requires thought, analysis, and planning ahead. Taking the time to map out your course of action and present it in a meaningful way makes all the difference between effective and ineffective digital marketing. Planting your project on the right foundation is key for future success.
How can we help you when building a website?
Effect Web Agency has people who specialize in web design, SEO, and other marketing strategies that can help you grow your online business. Contact us today for a free consultation.
