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Website: Best Practices

This is a starting guide to developing a website. I will include some of the best practices that you should consider while creating your website, so that you can create something that is user friendly, great to look at, and does the job that you need it to do.

The information will be categorized into 4 main topics. The first topic will help explain the User Experience and why you should consider their experience when developing a website. The second topic will about Blog Posts and outline some critical factors to think about when creating a post. The third topic will cover Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The fourth and final topic will cover Website Design ideas to enhance your look and prioritize important information.

User experience

The main point of building a website is to provide helpful information to anyone who wants to come look at your business. Don’t get too caught up on trying to provide the things that you think are important. It is best to think about how the user is going to experience your website. It is crucial that people can access what they are coming to look at very quickly. The overall page layout and design should be easy to navigate and find information. It is very important to understand who your products are for and what type of website they will be more likely to engage with. Build a website specifically for your customers, not by your specifications.

Organize the overall sitemap in a way that helps the user find information quickly. You shouldn’t have to search your page for long to find the pertinent information that they came to find. Ask yourself this question, what information needs to be included on the website for the user? Gather all this information and create a sitemap of how you plan to get all this information out to the user through accessing different website pages. Determine the flow of information and how the user is going to navigate from one page to the next. Make it simple and uniform, so that users can navigate to different pages, but also come back to the main landing page. Incorporate a search bar or any other tools that will help customers find information.

Once you create the overall layout, start developing ways to create different calls to action.  Create buttons that allow customers to sign up for blog post notifications, sign up for specials, and allow comments or other interactions so that people have an opportunity to engage with the website and at the very least provide data.   

Once you get the website going, look for help in finding ways to test the website. If you are the one who made it, you will not be the best person to determine if it is easy to navigate or not. You need a few different users to access your website and give feedback. Also, look at how your website is viewed from different devices. Make sure it looks good from a mobile device as well as a computer. Mobile device access to your internet page is going to be a huge portion of how customers interact with your website. Make sure it looks good on your phone and works just as it should. (Red & Yellow Creative School of Business,2023, Chapter 7.)

Blog Posts

Content marketing is a great way to build connections with your audience and drive sales. To create content that resonates with your audience, you must understand who you are writing to. Once again, researching your target audience is a key element to understanding what content will inspire them to act either by engaging or by purchasing. Connect with your audience by understanding their pain points, their goals, and their reason for being on your website. The more your content can speak directly to the audience and provide some real insight to solving their problem, the more likely they are to engage and eventually convert to a paying customer.

Once you have great content, make sure you target audience can find it! Linking related content and adding search bars to create an easy navigating platform that does not frustrate or annoy your customers is crucial. Finding a way to personalize your content to match the customers’ needs is going to create a much more enhanced viewing experience. Your goal with personalization should be to create not a just list of facts, but an engaging conversation about something that will pertain to your target audience. This will change the tone from a sales pitch to a comfortable conversation about something you have in common with another person.

You do not have to assume all the information you need to give. Find a way to ask your readers what information they would like to know about. Adding a simple way for your readers to ask questions and engage more will give you even more insight into what type of content you should focus on. Turning people’s requests into blog posts will make them feel like they are being spoken to directly and build a connection that will help them convert into a customer. Don’t just think of blog posts to talk to your potential customers, think of it as a tool to listen and interact with them to really help you determine what product offering is most suitable for your target audience. (Christoff. 2021)

Search Engine Optimization SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving a website’s visibility in organic search results, which are the unpaid listings that appear when users search for information online. Unlike paid results, which are often harder to distinguish from organic listings due to Google’s evolving ad formats, SEO focuses on earning traffic naturally by enhancing a site’s relevance and authority. With search engines serving as the primary gateway to the internet, SEO plays a crucial role in driving traffic and competing not only with other websites but also with paid advertisements that now include eye-catching image extensions and Shopping Ads.

To improve search engine rankings, SEO specialists focus on five key areas: creating a search engine-friendly website structure, researching and targeting relevant keywords, optimizing content around those keywords, building link popularity, and analyzing user behavior. As search trends evolve, it’s important to consider mobile SEO and local search, especially with Google’s shift toward a mobile-first indexing approach. This means designing websites with smaller screens in mind first, ensuring that users on mobile devices receive a seamless and engaging experience. By aligning content and design with user intent and device preferences, businesses can enhance their visibility and performance in search engine results. (Red and yellow creative school of business, 2023. Pg. 131)

Website Design

Successful websites begin with strong planning that prioritizes the needs of users. A well-designed site should be accessible to all, easy to navigate, optimized for search engines, and simple to share across platforms. Following best practices throughout the development process—from initial concept to final launch—ensures that the website is built on a stable foundation. Developers must focus on usability and performance, creating a reliable experience that loads quickly and functions smoothly across all devices.

Equally important is the user experience, which should be enhanced through thoughtful design that guides visitors toward their goals without distractions. A mobile-first approach ensures that users on smartphones and tablets enjoy the same quality experience as those on desktops. Consistency in visual messaging across all digital properties reinforces brand identity and builds trust. Finally, supporting a wide range of browsers and devices guarantees that the website reaches the broadest possible audience, making it both inclusive and effective. (Red & Yellow Creative School of Business. 2023).

References

Red & Yellow Creative School of Business. (2023). Chapter 7: Search engine optimisation (SEO). In eMarketing: The essential guide to marketing in a digital world (7th ed.). https://www.redandyellow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/eMarketing_2023_Red__Yellow.pdf

Christoff, C. (2021, January 7). Four tips for publishing powerful blog content. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/theyec/2021/01/07/four-tips-for-publishing-powerful-blog-content/

Red & Yellow Creative School of Business. (2023). eMarketing: The essential guide to marketing in a digital world (7th ed.). https://www.redandyellow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/eMarketing_2023_Red__Yellow.pdf

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Evan- A little about me

I have spent the last 12 years in beverage wholesale industry. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The first 4 years I spent with a distributor that primarily sells beer and Red Bull. Then for the last 8 years I was with a locally owned distributor of PepsiCo products. I have worked my way from a weekend merchandiser to a sales rep. I have learned how to properly merchandise perishable products, I got my commercial driver’s license, to becoming a route sales rep and account manager for our area. I have learned a lot in this industry, but I have been wanting more…

But I have been wanting more…

-ME

I recently took a national sales role for a company that sells restrooms, pavilions, showers, concession stands, storage/utility buildings, and kiosks for public use areas like parks and other recreational areas. Most of the customers are public entities that need to follow very specific purchasing procedures. The procurement process for public entities can be very challenging. My job is to help these public entities find a product that they are interested in and give a budgetary estimate. If this is something the public entity is interested in, then we must find out what path we can take to get them to buy. We can help them specify our structures if a bid process is required or they can directly purchase the structure using third-party purchasing cooperatives that we have already been approved through. I am only a few months into this new job, so I still only know very little. I have no construction or engineering background, so I have a long way to go.  

I am 37 and decided to go back to school just after my two boys were born. Going back has always been on the back of my mind, but I could never really decide on major. I chose a business administration degree because I thought it would fit well for the next stage of my life. I felt like I would be managing people and wanted to separate myself in terms of knowing how to lead. I finished my bachelor’s at Southern New Hampshire University less than a year ago. I felt I needed to keep the ball rolling and applied at SOU for the MBA program.

My goal is to make more money and provide more for my family. They really deserve it. It has been a difficult transition working a new job that is 100% on the computer and then making time to get on my computer at home to complete this journey. Balancing home life with a very busy work schedule has been tough. I am trying to keep everything flowing, so that I can get through this program. I keep good study habits, but also not retract from learning at my new job.

I look forward to learning more about marketing and finance. I am torn on my concentration, but I would be happy with either one. With this MBA I a would like learn how to be more assertive, confident, and just understand business better. Eventually I would like to open my own business. I have been mostly interested in entertainment or fitness. I would really like to open a trampoline franchise, but they are a very expensive initial investment that I do not have for now. Another business idea that I would really like is a gym. I think it is very difficult to create a special niche and tailor something unique and different to stand out. I like all things martials arts, so some additional martial arts classes and personal training would be ideal for me. I have recently discovered the kickboxing franchise 9Round and something similar to that would be great.

Outside of school and work I have an amazing family! I am trying hard to manage everything appropriately and spend as much time with my boys. They are three and five. My five-year-old is about to start kindergarten and my three-year-old is an absolute terror who preys on the weak. I recently built a gym in our garage, so my wife and I are trying hard to stay in shape and we utilize it as much as we can. I also have been going to jujitsu. I have done some form of martial arts for most of my life, but right now I have been focused on grappling.

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Hello world!

Welcome to BA 536, Internet Marketing. This is your first post to see as an example. Delete it when you start writing your own posts! Visit this link to learn about the difference between Posts and Pages in WordPress:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/what-is-the-difference-between-posts-vs-pages-in-wordpress/

Douglas