I originally wrote this article after running a seminar on website strategies back in 2015. A lot has changed since then – although, interestingly, many of the things that make a good business website haven’t.
Google has changed enormously, mobile-friendly websites have gone from being a competitive advantage to something we simply expect, and we now have AI appearing in search results too.
So I’ve given my original seminar notes a rather overdue 2026 makeover. Some of the technology has changed, but the ultimate aim of a business website hasn’t: get the right people to it, give them a reason to stay and make it easy for them to take the next step.
Why does your business need a good website?
Back in 2015, one of my seminar questions was simply: “Why do businesses have a website?”
These days, I’d phrase that slightly differently. Most established businesses know they need one. The better question is:
What is your website actually doing for your business?
A good website can:
- help potential customers find you
- give people confidence in your business
- explain clearly what you offer
- show what makes you different
- demonstrate your experience and expertise
- show reviews, testimonials and examples of your work
- answer common questions before someone contacts you
- generate enquiries, bookings or sales
- provide useful information 24 hours a day
If your website exists just because you think a business is supposed to have one, it’s probably capable of doing considerably more for you.
First challenge: help the right people find it
Having a beautiful website isn’t much use if nobody who needs your services ever sees it.
Search engine optimisation has changed a lot since I gave the original seminar. In 2015 we talked much more about keywords, meta tags, Google PageRank and getting into the top ten blue links.
Today, search results can include organic listings, maps, local businesses, images, videos and AI-generated information.
But you still need to make it clear what your business does.
Your website should have useful pages about your main services, clear page titles and headings, sensible URLs and content written around the subjects your potential customers genuinely want information about.
For local businesses, make it clear where you work too.
And don’t stuff the same keyword into every other sentence. Nobody wants to read “Suffolk web designer providing web design in Suffolk for businesses looking for a Suffolk web designer”. Not even Google.
Give people useful information
Your main service pages don’t need to answer absolutely everything.
Articles, FAQs, case studies and guides give you space to answer the more specific questions people ask.
Think about conversations you have with customers and prospects. If somebody asks you a useful question, there’s a reasonable chance somebody else has typed something similar into Google – or asked an AI tool.
That’s often a much better starting point for content than sitting in front of a blank screen thinking, “What on earth shall I write about this month?”
Your website needs to be quick
This was important in 2015 and it’s still important now.
People don’t suddenly become more patient just because your homepage has a lovely photograph on it.
Large images, unnecessary scripts, too many plugins and poor hosting can all contribute to a slow website.
Optimise images before uploading them, keep the technical side of the site well maintained and test your important pages on a real phone as well as your desktop computer.
Mobile-friendly isn’t optional any more
One of the big subjects at my 2015 seminar was Google’s decision to give mobile-friendly websites more prominence in mobile search results.
At the time, that was news.
It really isn’t now!
A modern website should adapt properly to different screen sizes as standard. That doesn’t just mean squeezing the desktop site onto a smaller screen. Text needs to be readable, buttons easy to press, menus straightforward and forms usable without requiring unusually tiny fingers.
Give people a reason to choose you
Your visitor probably isn’t looking at your website in isolation. They may have several competitors open in other browser tabs.
So make it easy for them to understand why they should choose you.
That could include:
- your experience
- specialist knowledge
- how quickly you respond
- your approach to customer service
- guarantees
- examples of your work
- reviews from genuine customers
- something useful that’s included as part of your service
Try not to rely on phrases such as “high quality”, “professional service” and “competitive prices”. Your competitors probably say exactly the same things.
Specific beats generic.
Make your website easy to use
Visitors shouldn’t need instructions to work out how your website works.
Keep the navigation clear, use meaningful headings and make important information easy to find.
Back in 2015, I advised businesses to put important information “above the fold”. I wouldn’t be quite so rigid about that now. People are perfectly comfortable scrolling.
What still matters is giving them a good reason to scroll.
Your first screen should quickly help somebody understand where they are, what you offer and why it might be relevant to them.
Proofread it!
This advice hasn’t changed at all since 2015.
Typos happen – I’m certainly not claiming I’ve never made one – but a website littered with spelling mistakes, broken sentences and outdated information doesn’t give the best impression of a business.
Read important pages again after publishing them. Even better, get somebody else to read them because it’s remarkably easy to see what you think you wrote rather than what’s actually on the screen.
Use reviews and testimonials
In the original seminar I talked about testimonials. They’re even more useful now because potential customers are accustomed to checking reviews before making decisions.
Don’t just tell visitors how good you are. Let your customers do some of that work for you.
Google reviews can be particularly useful for local businesses, while detailed testimonials and case studies on your own website can explain what it is actually like to work with you.
Tell visitors what to do next
Once somebody has found your website and decided they like what they see, don’t make the next step difficult.
Calls to action could include:
- get in touch
- request a quote
- book a meeting
- buy a product
- download something useful
- join your mailing list
You don’t need an enormous flashing button after every paragraph. Just make the logical next step obvious when somebody is ready to take it.
Measure what generates business
One of my recommendations in 2015 was adding “Where did you hear about us?” to enquiry forms.
I still like asking the question.
Analytics can tell you plenty, but they don’t always tell the whole story. Somebody may discover you on Google, follow you on LinkedIn for six months, hear your name from somebody at a networking event and finally visit your website directly before getting in touch.
Asking people how they heard about you can reveal things that analytics alone won’t.
Use website analytics and Google Search Console too, but don’t become obsessed with traffic for the sake of traffic. I’d rather have 100 relevant visitors and five enquiries than 5,000 visitors who have absolutely no interest in buying anything.
And now there’s AI search too
One thing that definitely wasn’t on my 2015 seminar slides was AI!
People can now find information through Google’s AI-powered search features and other AI tools as well as traditional search results.
That makes clear, useful and genuinely knowledgeable website content even more important.
Rather than trying to find some secret trick for “AI optimisation”, concentrate on giving people useful information, demonstrating genuine experience and making it easy to understand who you are, what you do and what you know about.
So, how is your website doing?
Have another look at your own website as though you’ve never seen the business before.
Can you immediately understand what the company does? Is it obvious why you might choose it? Can you find useful information easily? Does everything work properly on your phone? And is it clear what you’re supposed to do next?
If not, you’ve probably just found your website to-do list.
I can help you improve your website
I design WordPress websites with usability and search visibility in mind, and I can also review an existing website to find opportunities for improvement.
Take a look at my Website Design service or get in touch if you’d like me to have a look at yours.
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