One crucial factor in successful website optimisation is the quality of the code itself. Many small businesses that employ website developers judge the site on appearance, without giving a minutes thought to how things look behind the scenes. The fact of the matter is, without clean code your search engine rankings are likely to suffer.

It is often the case that smaller companies, eager to save money wherever they can, will opt for a cheaper website from a team of website developers who do not possess the required technical ability, and over compensate with a lot of unnecessary code.

Many of the sites website developers design for start-up companies have been made fool proof so they can be easily administered by business owners who are not particularly internet savvy. However, this fool proofing will often take the form of a large amount of unnecessary code, damaging the potential rankings of the new site, even if all other website optimisation factors are accounted for.

The importance of clean code becomes clear when considering the importance of page load times on search engine rankings. Google recently announced that page load times are going to become a bigger factor in how they decide as website’s rankings, and have even provided some tools in Webmaster tools so that site owners can measure their page load times and take steps to improve them. Although, it is important to consider, many of the do-it-yourself- website platforms which are becoming quite popular at the moment will offer you little or no control over these factors.

The best way to ensure a website which benefits from clean code is to hire the services of an experienced and technically aware team of website developers, who can ensure your site not only looks attractive to visitors, it is also neat and tidy behind the scenes. This will go a long way to ensuring the visibility of your website on the search engines.

If you are looking for a website which not only looks good, but which is also not held back by unnecessary code, contact Designer Websites. Our expert team of website developers have many years of experience producing ecommerce sites and websites for small businesses. Give us a call today! 

When you’ve got a new business idea or are determined to lead your existing business into the digital age, it is all too easy to be carried away with the excitement of it all. However, it is so important to take stock when choosing your team of website developers. It is these decisions early on which will make or break your business further down the line.

The best websites are often the most simple in nature. They provide all the information needed, but no more or less. Such websites will usually have a higher conversion rate as there are fewer distractions present for the consumer. The key to a successful team of website developers is creating a site with the right amount of content, is visually appealing and simple to navigate.

Let’s have a look at a few common mistakes website developers often make:

Too much content

A grave error indeed. High quality copy is essential as it helps to build a trusting relationship with your customer base. It is worth paying for the services of a good copywriter and fully briefing them on the ins and outs of your business, helping them to craft the words which carry the sentiment of your business directly to the end user. It is certainly worth paying for a specialist copywriter rather than doing it yourself. No more than 500-600 words should be on any one page; if possible even less. Say what needs to be said and not a word more. Web consumers scroll through pages looking for the information they need, so writing a thesis will be entirely counter-productive.

Confusing navigation

Stick with what works and don’t try to be fancy. Sometimes as website developers it is nice to be able to show off a little and really show what you can do, but website navigation is not the place. Web users are trained to expect dropdown menus at the top of the site which make it simple to manoeuvre through the site. Anything else will likely lead to confusion. Internal links are also important wherever another page is referenced. You should also ensure a Homepage link is always within reach.


TMI lead forms

Nobody wants to spend their time filling out forms; at least we hope not. Too much information (TMI) lead forms should be avoided at all costs. If a customer is filling out a lead form then they are already interested in the services or products your business offers. The last thing your website developers should be doing is reversing this decision with a clunky lead form which takes forever to fill in. This will reverse the trust your great copy, visual appeal and simple navigation managed to create.

All these points are important but ultimately you will need to strike a balance between design, SEO effectiveness and the user experience for whilst too much information can be off-putting, not enough can be detrimental, so a good balance and clear message is required.

To speak to website developers with the knowledge and experience to know exactly what makes your website sell, call Designer Websites. Our website developers have the technical know-how and intricate understanding of search engine optimisation to bring you the traffic and conversion rates your site needs.