Clean, Semantic Code or Good Design. You Can Have Both.
When it comes to improving online search rankings, there are many things business owners without web development skills can do to positively affect their search rankings. It all starts with a website that’s made with clean, semantic code. But from there, if a business is simply using social media, blogging, or driving customers to their website, they are positively influencing their online search rankings (therefore maintaining and getting more customers).
What business owners often don’t realize when they take on DIY web projects and hire inexperienced web developers, is that a large percentage of what drives your website to perform well and display in online search results happens behind the scenes or “under the hood” of the website. It’s the little things that go unnoticed to those focussed purely on design and looks.
Most DIY website platforms offer modern, easy to use website creators with decent looking themes and built in designs. They’re marketed towards small business owners and creative professionals that want to build their own website instead of hiring a web design agency. They’re essentially a freshly painted, clean looking car that has a sunroof and super cold AC. They all look and sound amazing until you look under the hood and it has the engine of a go-kart.
85{d4b17f0732e4c495eee51c03ad16a7030b4f9cb6b01c343ccd4bc177abc39f72} of what Google actually cares about is under the hood of a website.
We get it, your customers think the website looks amazing, so who cares about Google, right? Sure your customers might love the design, but the majority of them will never see the site because Google won’t show it to them.
How can I improve my website’s “engine”? And how do I know if a web developer is worth it?
There are a number of really awesome, free online tools available to check on your website or an agency’s portfolio.
- Use the Page Speed Insights tool to check on user experience and load times for mobile and desktop.
- Check if the website is properly mobile responsive and clean using the Mobile-Friendly Test.
