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Web Design and SEO have been separate aspects of the Digital Marketing field. However in depth analysis has revealed how deeply they are interlinked. Website design plays a pivotal role in determining the Search Engine Ranking, which in turn affects the SEO of a website. This article helps unravel the different areas of Web Design that can be tweaked to improve Search Engine Optimisation.
The structure of the Website:
The navigation through a website depends on the loading time, the simplicity, usefulness of the content and its placement. The simpler the site is to navigate, higher the visitor retention. Complex menus and too may redirects can throw off a visitor, preventing their conversion to a buyer.
- Keep the menus and other tabs visible at all times.
- Stick to simple language that even laymen can understand.
- The Best SEO services always opt to incorporate a search bar.
- Use descriptive URLs that convey the topic of the page.
Creative 404 Pages:
The website may be up for maintenance and you need visitors to know that the link is temporarily disabled. Have the web developer design a creative page for this purpose instead of a generic Error 404: Page not Found. Communicate clearly why the site is down or missing. If possible redirect them to a cache or other pages they may be interested in. The Best SEO services provide a choice of other web pages linked to your site that they may find useful. This is helpful to retain the visitors on your site, cutting back on website Bounce rate. The retention time is an important factor when it comes to priority in Search Engine Result Pages.
Website Loading Time:
Another important search engine ranking factor is the Website Loading speed. The website loading speed can be anywhere between 1 second to 5 seconds. Anything more than that will make a potential visitor lose their interest. The following tips can help you reduce website loading time.
- Compress all essential images and remove any redundant ones.
- Opt for a Content Delivery Network
- Minimise redirects from both internal and external links.
- Use a Cache Plug in to be retrieved instead of actual web pages.
- Create Custom Website Templates
- Remove image Carousels
Images to convey content:
Images have more impact on the human brain when compared to written content. But they may not always load properly. In rare cases the image may not be tangible to the visitor. In such cases, adding captions, keywords and Alt Text to the images can improve website visibility.
- Include relevant keywords to image titles
- Use Alt Text to enable Search Engines and people with disabilities to better understand the images. In the event that the image has not loaded, it also enables the visitor to visualise what image was there.
- Compress all images to minimise loading time and the memory load.
Avoid Home Page Pop Ups:
Sometimes we find ourselves opening a link to a site and the first thing that comes on is a pop up asking for subscription or other such Call to Actions. This is a major deterrent for further retaining the customer on the site. This causes the search engine to index the website under the ones that visitors spend less time in. Minimise Pop – ups in your web pages or user Exit Intent Pop-ups that ensure the time spent in your website is informational and useful in general without forcing them to take action.
Visual Aesthetics:
A pleasing visual experience counteracts high bounce rates and creates loyal customers. Keep these tips in mind while designing the website.
- Use light coloured backgrounds, preferably muted whites.
- Make use of White Space to give visual relief from text and images.
- Use readable fonts from the sans serif typeface for main text.
- Use small paragraphs with key points highlighted or in bulleted points.
- The Best SEO services use images and Infographics to convey the message.
Open Designs, a Web Design and Development company in Chennai offers comprehensive services that helps your business have the best of both Web Design and SEO.
