{"id":6180,"date":"2013-09-19T16:05:29","date_gmt":"2013-09-19T23:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/?p=6180"},"modified":"2022-02-03T05:18:48","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T12:18:48","slug":"3-simple-steps-for-a-stronger-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/3-simple-steps-for-a-stronger-site\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Simple Steps for a Stronger Site"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest post by Megan Totka, chief editor for ChamberofCommerce.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Let’s face it; most of us have a problem with paying attention.\"Simple\"<\/p>\n

On average, the adult attention span for a single, given task is somewhere around twenty minutes. The Internet represents an entirely different story. As the average user has the attention span of nine seconds on any given site<\/a>, it’s clear that we must capture the attention of our traffic as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

For this reason, a cluttered, confusing and complicated website is a small business’s worst nightmare.\u00a0 Given the fast-paced nature of the modern web and our shortened attention spans online, many business sites would benefit greatly from a bit of simplification.<\/p>\n

Simple sites have the potential to retain more visitors, convert more leads and generate more traffic<\/a>. What’s the best way to scale down your business site while still giving visitors what they want?<\/p>\n

Your Site is Not a Maze<\/strong><\/p>\n

Firstly, your site is not a maze, and your visitors are not lab rats. An effective website provides clear direction from page to page, with such pages labeled and updated accordingly. Most sites today get by on just a few navigation tabs or headings (think: less is more<\/a>). There’s no need to overload your visitors with a sea of pages or links.<\/p>\n

For example, a local restaurant doesn\u2019t usually need more than five or so navigation tabs (\u201cMenu,\u201d \u201cLocations,\u201d \u201cContact,\u201d \u201cCatering,\u201d and \u201cAbout Us\u201d) with subpages housed within (e.g. a page concerning nutrition information could be housed within the \u201cMenu\u201d section). Structuring your site this way strengthens it both aesthetically and from an SEO perspective. Our website templates for restaurants<\/a> support all SEO requirements.<\/p>\n

Think of your site as your business’s portal or hub. Whether your visitors are looking for information, points of contact or your product, they should know where to go as soon as they land. You work hard to get visitors to your site<\/a>; are you providing them clear directions once they’ve gotten there?<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/p>\n

A Picture versus 1,000 Words<\/strong><\/p>\n

The modern Internet is filled to the brim with visuals. From memes to infographics, visual content<\/a> is becoming increasingly important to the modern SMB site. It’s no secret that visuals have a positive impact on your visitors and traffic, as blogs that include pictures drive 94% more traffic versus those that do not<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, however, it’s best to use visuals somewhat sparingly. Pictures should be utilized to strengthen your written content, not make up for lack thereof or fill empty space. As the number of mobile users increases exponentially (and may very well exceed desktop users by 2014<\/a>), your site needs to load quickly and not rely solely on visual content. Photos are best leveraged when your site is:<\/p>\n