How To Spruce Up Your Site in 10 Easy Steps

10 Easy Steps

Are you looking for an easy way to spruce up your website? You’re in luck-- we’ve actually got 10 ways to update your website. These simple tweaks can enhance the look and feel of your site, increase your site views, and encourage first time visitors to become loyal community members. Most of these tips can be implemented right after you read this post. So, are you ready to get started? Let’s go!  

Easy Tweaks

1. Update Your Copyright Date

This is one of the easiest tweaks on the list. You know the date at the bottom of your website? If it doesn’t say 2015, it’s time to update your footer. Nothing says “I haven’t updated my site” like 2014 (or before) copyright date. Check out this site for instructions on how to update your copyright footer.  

2. Create a Email Subscription

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you have a lot of first time visitors, but no one ever returns. It sounds like you’re depending on bookmarks or, even worse, your visitor’s memory to get repeat visitors.   That’s not a foolproof strategy because bookmarks are out of sight, out of mind, and people simply forget all the great sites that they come across. Instead, create an email subscription so that those who opt-in get an awesome reminder in their email whenever you have something new to share. Use a site like MailChimp along with SumoMe to create a killer email subscription.  

3. Create a Start Here Page

When new visitors come to your page, it can be a really disorienting experience. They don’t know where to start. Aid them by creating a “Start Here” page where you highlight your “best of” content. You can also provide a clear roadmap for each type of visitors. For example, you can compile a how-to series in chronological order. Check out this “Start Here” page by photographer Eric Kim for inspiration.  

4. Add Images (link to the stock list)

One of the best ways to engage site visitors and create a beautiful site is with images. There’s no excuse to use images that so tiny you can’t even see them or cheesy images that scream “clipart.” That’s because there’s plenty of beautiful (and free) high resolution stock images. Check out our list of 10 places to find fabulous and free stock images.  

5. Create a Style Guide

You need to create consistency with your visual branding. The easiest way to do that is with a style guide. You should document all visual elements that you’ll use on your site, including:

• Fonts (no more than three please)
• Photo dimensions
• Color scheme (here’s a great site to find beautiful color schemes)

 

6. Add Google Analytics & Use It

Do you have Google Analytics installed on your site? Google Analytics is a tool that lets you track your website traffic. It gives you important information on who comes to your site and how they get there (for example, where most of your traffic is coming from, or what keywords they used to get to you). Empowered by this information, you can then better target your website and blog to accommodate your site visitors.  

7. Change Font Size

There’s absolutely nothing cute about squinting to read text on a website. Don’t let this happen to your site. Instead, commit to large font sizes, no smaller than 16 pts. Readability is a crucial element for satisfying user experience.  

8. Tweak Your Text

There’s no reason to increase your font size if your content remains lackluster. Spend some time updating your content. This is especially useful after you’ve installed Google Analytics and learned what keyword(s) you’re ranking for on Google. Simple changes to your headlines to incorporate those keywords or phrase can boost your SEO (search engine optimization) and bring you more relevant visitors.  

9. Avoid Obnoxious Pop Ups

Earlier, we discussed creating a email subscription list. Complementary to that is the pop-up. You’ve definitely encountered a pop-up before, most likely when you visit a blog. Pop-ups are slightly annoying, but definitely effective, which is why people continue to use them. They’re a great way to nudge visitors to subscribe to your list, especially if you add an incentive. That said-- avoid being obvious.   Here are a copy of best practices for pop-ups: Don’t make them activate immediately upon visiting a page. Give you reader time to read the content before deciding whether they should sign up. Also, create an enticing offer for your pop-up. For example, provide a free list of resources (related to the content) or a free ebook in exchange for their email subscription.  

10. Create a Stronger Contact Me Page

Last, but not least, commit yourself to a killer Contact Me page. It’s one of the most visited pages on your site, and it should include everything you visitors needs to reach you.   A common mistake is to only include an email form. Not everyone loves that. Some people prefer to send an email to you from their own inbox (for their records or for security purposes). If you want to include a form, be sure to add your email address to this page, also.   Additionally, add links to your social media profiles so that your visitors can reach you on multiple outlets.   Finally, add a frequently asked questions section to this page (along with your answers). This element is a great way to minimize email volume and maximize user experience.  

Final Thoughts

We hope you put these easy steps into practice right away. What’s the first step you’ll take today? Don’t forget to comment below with your answer!

---

Share:

Tags:

responsive design