1. Be Mobile Friendly
In other words, your website should look good on all devices like tablets and phones in addition to the desktop. If the pages run off the screen or you find yourself having to pinch or expand the device screen to read pages, it is safe to say your website is more than likely not mobile friendly.
According to Google “over half of Google traffic comes from mobile devices.” Google also awards websites with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) benefits if it is mobile friendly, meaning a higher ranking in search results for your business. Make sure mobile-friendly design is at the top of your checklist.
Next Step: A good web designer should be familiar with mobile-friendly design. Ask them to confirm that the design you are pursuing will be mobile friendly and then run a test on multiple devices to test the design yourself.
2. Register with Google Search Console
What are we talking about here? Google provides the ability for you to add your website on what is called their Google Search Console.
In short, this gives Google your “green light” to let that website domain be found in search. Without it, your website may take a lot longer to be found and indexed by Google; which means that your customers may not be able to find you.
Encouraging your website to be found in a web search has real revenue generating impacts.
Next Step: Contact your web designer and make sure they have submitted your website domain within the Google Search Console.
3. Secure and Deter
If you have an existing website do you know whether it starts with HTTP or HTTPS? The difference is critical. The “S” at the end of the HTTP signifies a secure website so if the S is missing you are potentially opening yourself up to more cyber-attacks which could include fraudulent orders among others.
Not only does securing your website support compliance requirements and best practices within the industry, it also has some wonderful SEO benefits. According to a recent blog post by ahrefs.com, after analyzing a million search rankings the majority of the top 3 search results on Google were websites using HTTPS.
Next Step: To get the HTTPS configure what is called a Secure Sockets Layer certificate also known as an SSL certificate. Ask your web designer to confirm they have set your website up to be secure with an SSL certificate.
4. Claim Directories and Get Reviews
People are often looking for services or companies near where they are or where they want to be. Just think about every time you are in the car looking for a good restaurant; you typically see a handful of options that rise to the top of your search with their respective star ratings.
That isn’t by mistake. Those companies took the time to register their business and their website with a host of online directories in order to have the opportunity to appear high in a mobile search.
Directory websites such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, BBB, Yellow Pages Online and others are highly trafficked, mobile-friendly websites that rank high in the search engines. By registering on multiple directory sites, you are found more easily and quickly, giving your customers and prospects information on your business including hours of operation, location, and website.
Once you have registered your business and added your website it is time to start sharing those links and asking for reviews. Conventional testimonials are ok but many prospects trust online reviews from directory sites more since they come across as more authentic because they are direct from the consumer.
Next Step: Pick at least five online directory sites to register with; include your website on each registration. The directory will typically send a physical card with a code through regular mail to your business so be sure it does not get thrown away. You will need that code to finalize your registration.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Not being on these directory sites does not prevent bad reviews. If you are registered you get instant notifications of any review left - positive or negative. This is HUGE and allows you to thank those for the positive and mitigate those that are negative in a timely fashion.
5. Localize Your Website Titles
Contrary to popular belief, the least important part of your website page titles is your business name. What we often see on law firm websites are the company name, a blurb about the business (like a slogan) followed by where the company is located. However, this is not a best practice.
Customers and prospects are looking for specific answers to their questions close to where they are. For example, if I am looking to fix a leaky sink in my bathroom and I live in Tampa, I will most likely search for “Tampa Plumber” or “How do I fix a leaky sink?” in my search. Notice I am not searching for “ABC Plumbing Inc.” The same holds true for your real estate title insurance practice.
A better approach to your website page titles would be something like: “What is the 3-day rule?, Tampa, Florida, ABC Law Firm.”
This way we are matching how the customer or prospect is searching for information and connecting that answer in a local way. This gives the search engines what they need to help elevate your web page higher in search results than another business that is more generic or does not mention the 3-day rule at all in their page titles.
The same holds true for the content throughout your website. Be sure you include the cities and counties you service on a regular basis intermixed in the content you are sharing.
Next Step: Have your website designer confirm each website page title with you so you can review how those titles are being reflected. It is important they are titled with how the consumer would search for information based on where they are.