SEO and Internet Marketing
New Website Checklist
 Many companies and small businesses have
a Website that is reasonably non-functional. The Websites just do not attract visitors,
let alone customers or bring about sales – and a fantastic marketing opportunity
goes to waste. With Internet competition on the increase, more and more Websites
are being left out in the cold.
So before creating a new Website, it is essential to do some preliminary research.
Identifying the Target Market and the resulting Keyword Research are necessary precursors
to Website implementation.
Keep in mind your objectives when creating a new Website:
- The Website must be known to the search engines.
- The Rankings must be good for selected Keyword phrases.
- The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) must entice the visitor into visiting the
Website.
- The Marketing message must result in new customers.
Here is a checklist that covers the essential aspects of setting up a New Website:
Website name
Use Words in the URL relating to the content, so that visitors can easily remember
the URL. To choose a Website name and domain name, see
Choosing a Website Name.
Website hosting
Choose a Website host that offers fast page load times, reliable and personal service,
with minimal downtime. The software available must be flexible enough to allow continuous
Website Optimisation.
Demographics
It is imperative to select your target market before a start on the Website build
is made. You must know the age group, educational level, technical knowledge and
degree of sophistication of your target audience. Identifying the target market
goes hand in hand with Keyword research. You cannot optimise Keywords without knowing
the target market. See
The Target Audience.
Keyword Research
Keyword Research is needed at the start as it affects the content and every aspect
of the Website. Each Web page must incorporate targeted Keyword Phrases. See
Website Keywords and Keyword Phrases.
Website Content
Select page topics and create the write-up. The write-up must stick to the topic
and incorporate the Keyword Phrases selected for the topic. The Website must be
friendly and direct. The Website must be professional. See the page
Content is King!
Density Analysis
Originally SEO involved making sure that selected Keywords had a Density of 5%.
Nowadays this will be regarded as Keyword stuffing. The Density Analysis is still
of value – check to see if a Keyword or some phrase has been used too frequently
(or too infrequently). Use synonyms to avoid any problem and improve the chances
of a Search hit. See
Keyword Density and First Phrases Analysis.
The Opposition
Do a search using your Keywords, and check how the opposition is going, and what
they are using to get better rankings. When the new Website is up and running, remember
that the "Sandbox effect" will operative. See
Keyword SERP Ranking
Contact Us page
The "Contact Us" page should (if it has not been done elsewhere) establish trust
and credibility. It should have an Email facility.
Graphics
Create a Company Logo, Images and Slideshows. A favicon.ico should be included with
the Images. Make sure that the Company Logo has an explanatory ALT tag containing
Keywords – it often appears in the SERP listing. Minimise Image sizes to improve
response times. See
Website Images
The Meta Tags and Page Titles
The Keyword tags, Description tags and Page Titles must be optimally set. The resulting
Search Engine Results Page (SERP) listing must be inviting. See
The Meta Tags
and
Website Page Titles.
Website Template
It is important that all the Web Pages are consistent, have the same look and feel,
and are attractive. Create a Website Template that defines the layout, theme, style,
colours and Fonts. A Website Template will also speed up development. An ASP.Net
Master Page makes an ideal Template, and will ensure consistency between Web pages.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
CSS is also necessary for consistency between Web pages. Use CCS to ensure that
Printing does not include superfluous text, and that the font is not too small.
See
Website Standards.
Navigation
Choose the navigation style – vertical or horizontal are the alternatives.
Also choose the style of the Menus and Sub Menus. Above all, page navigation must
be simple and easy.
Website Statistics
Set up tracking statistics – see Statcounter in
Writing Effective Content. Or use Visual
Basic and SQL Server to derive and store customised statistics.
Website Submissions
Submit the Website to the Search Engines and directories at the earliest moment,
even if it is not complete. Submit the Website to any local directories. See
Directory Listings.
Backlinks
Start submitting quality articles to submission Websites. See the page on
Internal and External Links.
Intelligent Web Pages
Visual Basic.net can be used to vary Headings, Advertisements, Content and Images.
Taking over a Website
When a company purchases an existing Website, it is often necessary to integrate
the current content with any new ideas. This will preserve the Website's current
rankings and maintain the existing level of traffic.
Before making any changes, determine the Keywords and pages that are currently performing
well in the search engines. Before deleting any page, check the volume of visitors
landing on the page. There may be many Backlinks that reference the page. Use a
redirect to ensure that no visitor is lost.
And finally …
When the Website has been built, check that all the SEO Tips in this Website have
been implemented. And keep checking on a regular basis. This is not a one-time task.
Who said it was all gonna be quick and easy?
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