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The step-by-step guide to SEO audits for new websites

Female sitting on the floor up against her sofa working on her laptop

Creating a new website for your business is an exciting, rewarding, and motivating experience. Once you’re happy with the look and content of your website it’s time to launch and start bringing in new leads and customers. One great way to start off strong is with a Search Engine Optimisation audit.

To some small businesses Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can sound scary and complicated, but you’re more competent than you think you are! We’ve broken down a list of things you can do to examine the SEO of your new website (without too much stress!).

Step 1: Review your page titles and structure

SEO is all about ensuring that your website ranks highly in search results for your target keywords or terms. For this reason, you need to make sure that your page titles or browser titles include specific keywords (e.g. if you sell golf clubs you might want to use the keyword: “golf club store”) and that they’re structured in a way which includes these terms on every page.

Step 2: Ensure page content is optimised for SEO

Even more important than the titles of each of your website’s pages is the text content they contain. Not only should this encourage visitors to want to engage with your business and check out other pages, but it should also be clearly geared towards the keywords and phrases that you’ve decided on. Remember to never “stuff” your content with these words, but definitely ensure they’re the focus within the content.

Step 3: Check that your site is secure

Back in 2014, Google made it clear that it would give a slight SEO boost to websites which use SSL. Essentially this is a form of security which encrypts the data users enter on the site. It’s especially useful for e-commerce websites, but all sites should really be using SSL with the “https://” prefix if they want to maximise their SEO results and build credibility for their brand.

If you’re wondering what SSL is or why your small business needs it, click here for an easy to follow guide.

Step 4: Create (or verify) your sitemap

Sitemaps are a core part of the ‘back-end’ of SEO and are – as the name suggests – a list of all the pages on your website. They usually come in the form of .xml files and can usually be found by simply adding “sitemap.xml” to the end of any domain. If you already have a sitemap on your website, double-check that it’s up to date as part of your SEO audit.

Step 5: Submit your site to Google’s index

One critical step that a lot of new websites forget is to actually submit their URL to Google. This can be done via the free Google Search Console tool which anyone can sign up for. Once your site is verified, you’ll be able to submit your URL to Google for indexing, at which point Google could visit at any time to add you to the search results. The Google Search Console is also a critical tool in the toolbox of any good SEO practitioner – so give it a go.

Follow these simple steps and your new website will be well on the way to search engine success. Still in the planning stages for your new website? If so, Go Sitebuilder can help you launch quickly with SEO features built right in. Start with a 14-day free trial and see just how easy it is to build your own website and get started with your SEO basics.

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How do I promote my new website launch?

Website Launch Plans

The launch of a new website is an exciting proposition for any business, but in order to ensure it goes off with a bang, you will need to plan and execute the pre-launch process carefully. We’ve put together a list of tried and tested expert tips to follow to help you promote your new website.

Build anticipation

Now is the perfect time to start building buzz around your brand! You’ll want to begin by growing your customer base – especially if you’re a new business. You can choose a traditional route such as printing newspaper ads, or a more current direction by using social media. Just make sure, whatever method you choose, it’s a direct line to your target audience so you’re communicating effectively.

Another great way to build up some hype before your launch is to reach out to an email list. Emails can be beautiful works of art that let you relay your message to a group of people all at once. You can use emails to tease or share more information about your launch, products and services. Using beautiful images or including gifs will ensure your emails captivate your audience.

Utilise social media

Every business should make the most of social media to build brand awareness and increase audience numbers, whether they already have a website or not. However, if you’re launching a new site, using social media is a highly effective strategy to promote this event and stoke up excitement for the launch.
Create pages on social media platforms most frequented by your target audiences and regularly drip-feed information about your new website launch to create relationships with your customers and build up the anticipation. As well as detailing when the site will be launched, include information about what you’ll offer, what the site will contain and what visitors can expect.

Tease audiences with snippets from your new website, such as a sneak preview of some images, videos or blogs. Include offers or promotions for the first number of people who visit or purchase from your site once it’s launched.

As well as promoting your launch on popular sites such as Facebook or Instagram, the power of video cannot be ignored, so consider making short videos on YouTube talking about key aspects of your new website and the launch.

Start blogging

You might not be able to blog on your new site yet, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t post on another related site. Create a guest blog post about your new website launch to feature on a site that your target audience is likely to follow. Include a link to your website and the dates of the launch so that visitors can click on it on the big day. As well as guest blogging, you might also wish to pay an influencer to promote details of your new website launch or consider creating some press release copy.

Timing is crucial, however. If you release a guest blog post or PR copy about your launch, make sure that it hits audiences close to the launch date. If you post too early, audiences may forget about it, but if you post too late, the momentum may be lost.

Now that you know everything that you need to when it comes to promoting your new site all that’s left to do, is to start (and finish) building it! Try Go Sitebuilder FREE for 14-days – no credit card required!

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What is the easiest website builder for beginners?

Choosing the easiest website builder

Deciding to build a website can be a daunting prospect. After all, you may not know where to start. For a beginner, using a website builder is the quickest way to create one as you don’t need to know about coding or website design. Before diving into constructing your own website you’ll want to understand a bit more about them and how they work.

What exactly is a website builder?

A website builder is a simple and effective tool to create a website. There is often no need to have expert knowledge of website design. You simply just need the information that you wish to include on your site – giving you the ultimate control over your online presence.

How does a website builder work?

Like a lot of current website builders, Go Sitebuilder uses a drag and drop system and beautifully designed pre-built sections. This is perfect for beginners as there is no need for any experience in coding, and you can customise your site based on the look you want. There is a huge library of templates and sections to pick from providing you with an unlimited amount of design options to suit your brand. This makes it the best choice for beginners.

Your own domain and email

You want people to be able to find your website just by searching your company name, which is where domain names come in. With Go Sitebuilder, you can have a specific domain name, which will give your site a professional and credible look. A domain name is unique to your website and company, meaning there are no two domains which are the same.

Finally, some things to remember when building your first website:

  • Pick the right website builder – Most website builders will have a free trial so make sure it’s easy to use and fits into your busy schedule.
  • Know what you want – Think about your audience and the way you want them to interact with your site.
  • Make sure you’re supported – Ensure your website builder has an expert support team who are there to offer advice throughout the process.
  • Have fun! – This is your chance to promote yourself, so don’t forget to enjoy the experience!

We’ve created Go Sitebuilder to be the easiest website builder for small businesses. If you’re looking to give your business the web presence it deserves, check out Our14-day free trial and see just how easy it is.

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What’s the easiest way to build a website?

Black male sat at a desk building a website online with Go Sitebuilder

Whether you’re starting a new business or simply have a hobby you’re passionate about, a website is an excellent way to share it with the world. But, when it comes to actually build a website, the options can seem a little bit daunting. If you’re looking for the easiest way to build a website, this article is for you.

Here are 4 different ways to get your website up and running – starting with the most difficult:

4. Most difficult: Doing it the old-fashioned way

Let’s begin with the most time-intensive option on our list: doing it all yourself by hand. This option will be almost exclusively reserved for the technically minded among us, but – put simply – anyone can build a website using HTML and CSS code. In fact, just by writing a couple of lines of text in a text document, you can technically build a functioning website. But if you’d prefer an option which doesn’t require learning to code, read on…

3. Slightly less difficult: Install a Content Management System and use a theme

A content management system, or CMS, is essentially a piece of software you can install on your own website which allows you to build a website more easily. WordPress is perhaps the most popular example, offering countless themes which can get you started quite quickly. That said, actually finding a theme which is suitable for your needs can take time, and you’ll find that your website may look similar to many others. A CMS is certainly fast, but they often require updates and the majority rely on third-party plug-ins to provide enough functionality.

2. Getting easier: Work with a dedicated web designer

If you want to go to the other extreme and have a completely hands-off website building experience, you can find a web designer or developer. There are many freelancers out there who will be able to help, but you’ll need to be very detailed about what it is you want. Your brief will need to be quite precise so that the designer can make your vision come to life, which can be quite time-consuming. Also, because you’re hiring a real person to help, this can also be a quite expensive option.

1. The easiest way to do it: Use a do-it-yourself website builder

Now we arrive at what is perhaps the easiest option for those who want a unique website which is also simple to build. Using a website builder, you don’t have to worry about writing a single line of code or browsing through endless themes. You can simply drag and drop the text and images you want on your website and make things look exactly how you want them. With a website builder, your site can be launched in a matter of hours – and it’ll look great, too. You’ll have complete control over your content, time and expenses.

Now that you know just how easy it can be to create your own website, why not give it a go yourself? In fact, with Go Sitebuilder’s free trial, you can discover the ease of building a website without spending a penny.

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What is the best website builder?

A woman choosing the best website builder

If you are looking to build a website to create a personal online presence or to launch a new business idea, you’ll want to get the best one you can for an easily affordable price. Of course, there are literally hundreds of website builders to choose from so it can be somewhat confusing in terms of knowing which one to use. So, here’s our take on it.

First of all, don’t go cheap and cheerful. There are plenty of free site builders out there, but at the end of the day, you only get what you pay for. Free website templates may look good, but they don’t have enough flexibility built into them, and they don’t have much by way of technical support.

Expect user-friendly support

A lot of people will turn off at the mention of technical support. They fear they will be bombarded with meaningless jargon. That is not what you should expect from a top-line site builder. You have a right to expect user-friendly support that is helpful for complete newbies who know nothing about website construction, or that is useful to those who have a bit of basic knowledge but need a helping hand.

What defines a good website builder?

A good website builder gives you everything that you require in one complete package to build a professional-looking and performing website. Of course, it has to be simple to use. Ideally, it should also do a bit more than just give you the wherewithal to create the perfect website. It should also offer you a domain name, personalised email addresses, an online store (if you need one), and a blog. But there is something else that turns a good site builder into an exceptional one, and that is the quality of the customer service and experience.

Look for customer care that really cares

The majority of website building services only pay lip service to the customer experience. The product is generally good but the customer service merely suffices. What you need to find is a site builder that really cares about each individual client and their unique needs.

Here at Go Sitebuilder, our mission statement is to inspire and guide people to success online, and that is indeed what we do. It’s not just about providing you with a product. It’s about providing a complete package to help you realise your goal. Our customers are at the very heart of everything we do.

If you’re still unsure where to start with your website, drop us some questions at marketing@gositebuilder.com or simply get started with a free trial and use the live chat option to talk to our friendly customer success team.


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Creating a website for selling products

Woman shopping online

With more and more people choosing to shop online, having a website where you can sell your products is an invaluable way to increase your customer base. But, with so much competition on the internet, priority should be given to how you create and design your eCommerce website if you want it to succeed.

Always put the user first

When creating a website for selling products, step into the mindset of your users. Think about what you sell and who your target audiences are. Once you know who your users are, you should create your site with them in mind. Every style element you choose, from the fonts, to the choice of colours, images and text should be considered based on who you are trying to target. For example, if you sell beauty or fashion products, you should pay attention to the visual aspects of the design, creating a fun or informal feel, whereas if you’re selling something like financial products, your website should take on a more formal and informative tone.

Responsive design is critical

Gone are the days when consumers only use their desktop computers for purchasing items online. These days, smartphones and tablets have taken over, as more and more people use a variety of devices for internet shopping. In order to create a good user-experience when selling your wares online, responsive web design is key. This is where your website will adapt to suit the particular device that it is being viewed on so that it is easy to browse, scroll and navigate.

Create an easy, secure shopping experience

Make the online shopping process as seamless and straightforward as possible. Use text and images to accompany each product and state the prices clearly. Include your terms and conditions, and use a payment system that is reliable, safe and secure.

Include testimonials

Adding customer reviews and testimonials to your website helps to give your brand credibility, and these can prove a really worthwhile selling strategy. Try to include the reviews next to each relevant product you sell so that they are easy to spot by potential customers.

Make contact details easily accessible

Online shoppers like the reassurance of knowing that if they need to get in touch with a website business, they can easily do so. Make sure your contact details are easy to find on your website and are up to date. Include a variety of options for contacting you, including phone, email and an address. Good customer service is crucial, so always respond promptly to any queries you receive.

Building an eCommerce website is easier than you think. Go Sitebuilder has been created and designed with busy small businesses in mind – discover how you can create an online site today.

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How to build a social media following for your business

Building a social media following

Whether you’re a Facebooker, Instagrammer, or Tweeter, there’s no denying the importance of social media to modern business. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as throwing a profile onto each of the platforms and hoping for the best – there’s a bit more to it than that. So, if you’re a little behind when it comes to social media for business, here’s how to start building a following.

Step 1: Begin with who you know (and who they know)

If you’ve ever tried to build up a social media following from scratch, you’ll already know it’s an uphill battle. But, if you already have a group of friends or followers on social media for your personal accounts, you can use this as a springboard. No matter how small your circle may be, it’s a great idea to ask them to like/subscribe/follow your new profiles to serve as a base for more organic growth.

Step 2: Incentivise liking and sharing your content

One of the most common tactics you’ll see on platforms like Facebook and Twitter is competitions. Like many other tactics, this is simply a way to bring in even more followers. Consider this: if offering a prize worth £100 results in an additional 5000 users following you for a chance to win, that’s a great return on investment. If you incentivise sharing this way, you’re even more likely to see exponential growth.

Step 3: Post regular content which really engages your audience

One of the things some businesses get wrong when building a following is posting any old thing and then wondering why no growth follows. The reality is that – just like the rest of us – your following want to see something which really engages them. If you’re just posting what equates to adverts, followers are likely to unfollow pretty quickly. Instead, try to produce content which offers real value. This can come in the form of insightful industry articles or even one-off discount codes.

Step 4: Constantly monitor what works (and what doesn’t)

The final piece to this puzzle is perhaps the hardest part: ongoing monitoring and consistency. It’s all well and good to produce some social posts which gain real traction, but there’s no guarantee this will provide long-term growth. Keep an eye on the insights tools provided by the social platforms and try to understand exactly why certain posts succeed while others don’t. This will help you produce more posts which encourage more followers to join you on your journey.

Now that you know how to start building a social media following, you’ll need the perfect website to go along with it. If you’re wondering if you really need a website as well as social media; head over to our blog to decide for yourself. Try out Go Sitebuilder today for free and see what you could create.

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How do I make an events website?

Male smiling at a business event

If you’re looking to make an events website, there are various considerations you should bear in mind when designing your site, to achieve the highest outcomes.

Set goals

As always, think about what you want to achieve from your events website and your purpose or role in the process. One of our favourite ways to do this is by creating a list and answering a few simple questions. Are you selling external events organised by other parties, are you an events organiser who deals with every single aspect of putting an event together, or are you promoting one major event? These answers will define what you should include in your site and how it will all be put together.

Write clear descriptions

If you’re hosting or selling events on your website, it’s essential to include clear, concise and compelling descriptions of what each event is all about. This should essentially cover what the event is, where and when it will take place, who will be speaking or featuring at the event, and what you can expect to gain from attending. Each description should tell a story and provide more insight into your event theme or brand personality.
An FAQ section can also prove handy for all of those commonly-asked questions that event attendees might have.

Choose the right style

The style, layout and design of your events website will be dictated by the kinds of events you feature or host. If your site focuses on children’s party events, then you can use fun, colourful and informal design techniques, whereas organisers of corporate events will need to exude a more formal and professional image with more neutral choices of colours and styles. When designing your website, bear in mind that many viewers will be looking at it on a range of devices, especially smartphones, so incorporate responsive design into the site for easy viewing and navigation – remember, all Go Sitebuilder websites are instantly responsive.

Be visual

An events website without of any visuals will struggle to sell itself, so make sure yours includes images or multimedia of anything relevant to your events. You might wish to feature photos of previous events that have taken place, or even add videos so viewers can get a taste of what to expect and further increase their engagement. Testimonials from previous event-goers also help to strengthen the credibility of your brand.

Use clear calls to action (CTAs)

Crucially, every event you feature on your site should include a call to action. So, if customers want to find out more information or even book or register their place, your site should have easy functions that enable this to happen. Include visual buttons such as ‘book now’, ‘register your place’ or ‘find out more’ throughout your site so that the call to action is clear.

Now you know the basics of getting your events website set up for success, why not start creating your site with Go Sitebuilder today. Get started for free – no technical knowledge and no credit card required!

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How do I make a photography website?

gositebuilder

Having a website is an important tool for any photographer, whether you’re new to the business or an established brand. But, how do you go about creating a photography website where your images can do all the talking?

Identify your goals

Before you start designing your photography website, think about what you want it to achieve. Are you hoping to sell your images, gain local custom, acquire a new job in the industry or simply raise your profile? The goals of your website will dictate how you design it, what styles you should focus on and what content you should create.

Categorise your images

Your photos will be your selling points, so it goes without saying that these should take centre stage on your website. But think carefully about how you organise and display them. If you snap a wide range of images, create separate pages within your site to differentiate genres, such as landscape photography, portraits, weddings etc., rather than lumping them all together.

Display your style

How you display your photos will have an impact on the kind of impression you create, so pay attention to this aspect. Choose simple, plain backgrounds that won’t clash with your images. Horizontal images are best displayed as thumbnails, while it may be easier to scroll down vertical images. Here at Go Sitebuilder, we offer a wide range of pre-designed sections, slideshows and galleries that can be used to display your images beautifully. Play around with different templates to find a display that suits your style and images the most. It is also very important for you to optimise your site so that it can be easily viewed on different devices – this can be done instantly with Go Sitebuilder.

Choose quality over quantity

While it’s important to include your portfolio of images on your website, don’t go overboard. Opt for quality over quantity and only include the best examples that showcase your work. By only including a small number of images, this ensures they won’t slow your website’s speed down, and it will help to whet the appetite of your potential clients. You might even wish to include some brief explanatory text with each image to help set the scene and tone.

It’s also a good idea to add features to your site that enable viewers to like or share your images, to help increase awareness of your brand. You might also want to include links to your social media pages, such as Instagram so that people can view more of your work.

Make sure your images are copyright protected, however, and can’t be downloaded for free, if you intend to sell them.

Tell your story

Although your photos are the main focus of your website, don’t forget to include information about yourself on your homepage. This should be a brief introduction of who you are, how you work, your photography style and any other relevant information that helps to achieve your goals and sell your brand. Include your photo to personalise your site and your contact details.

Making a website is an exciting experience where you get to showcase your work in unique ways. Here at Go Sitebuilder, we make that process easy. Try our editor out for 14 days – absolutely free! 

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The importance of digital marketing for small business

The importance of digital marketing for small business

It’s a fact: there’s never been a better time to start a small business. The internet has made it possible to launch a company in a matter of minutes, but this is really just the start – it’s what comes next that’s most rewarding. If you’ve already taken the leap into small business ownership, you may be struggling with getting your name out there and bagging clients, and that’s where digital marketing comes in.

Here are the main reasons why digital marketing is so important for small businesses today.

Reason #1: Most of your customers are online

Did you know that, according to the Office of National Statistics, 19% of all retail purchases are now made online? And this number is rising rapidly. No matter what industry your small business is part of, being online is now an absolute necessity. Of course, this means that competition will be increasing all the time – which is why there’s never a better time than now to launch a digital marketing strategy.

Reason #2: It can cost as little (or as much) as you like

Unlike advertising via traditional media like TV, radio, or even billboards, you don’t always have to pay to get your message out there. When your small business is brand new, it makes sense to use pay-per-click advertising to drive traffic, but over time you can build your own organic traffic strategy. This aspect of digital marketing is known as content marketing, and it’s a slow-and-steady way to create “free” advertising to your website, as users arrive on your site naturally via search engines.

Reason #3: You can track your success every step of the way

Another reason that traditional advertising channels are hard to recommend is that they’re just not very trackable. It’s very hard to judge the return-on-investment created by a magazine advertisement, but with digital marketing, you can track a user for the length of their journey. This allows you to dig into the different ways a user has found your business, what they did on your website, and track the exact route they took to purchasing. This data will be invaluable as part of your digital marketing strategy because it instantly tells you what works – and what doesn’t.

Of course, at the heart of every successful digital marketing campaign is a great website. If your business is ready to go, but you don’t yet have a website just yet, Go Sitebuilder can help. Explore the site today and start building your digital presence with a 14-day free trial.