New website development is trending because of our metro-Houston business boom. As a result of increased competition, we’re seeing more small businesses planning to invest in website performance analytics to increase their online visibility and click-through rates.
There are about 1,500 Tomball businesses employing approximately 14,000 people. The area population is expected to grow from about 12,000 to more than 20,000 by 2030, making Tomball a solid destination site for business and commerce development. Here’s another interesting statistic: Every day, 252,000 new websites are built; in fact, in the time it takes you to finish reading this blog, about 200 new websites will have been created.
Based on website performance evaluations, many Southeast Texas firms will decide to redesign their sites or develop new websites this year. Ironically, considering Harris County highway congestion, most area businesses’ top concern is what to do about low website traffic.
It’s no longer sufficient to redesign your website every 4 years then forget about it. Ongoing website management is not an option; it’s critical to your business plan. Your website is the most important sales and service tool you have. Here are the most common considerations if you’re thinking about a new website design for your Tomball business.
Google Is the Gatekeeper
A whopping 92% of local business internet traffic comes from Google searches, so your website needs a digital strategy that delivers a strong Google presence.
If you could simply pay Google to give you a high ranking, it would be much easier. But it doesn’t work that way, and that’s a good thing for small businesses. You can rank as high or higher than a mega-corporation if your website maximizes Google search engine optimization.
Google search essentials should form the foundation for web pages. They include:
- Best practices – Best practices are the requirements to increase your Google search presence (appearance, crawlable links, dependable content, keyword placement, etc.).
- Spam – Website “behaviors” (content policies) can result in lower rankings or cause you to be eliminated from Google searches.
- Technical – Google essentials include webpage design that will promote you in Google searches (accessibility by Googlebot, 200 success status code, indexable content).
9 Reasons You Need a New Website for SEO
A new website is a substantial investment for most of us. Instead of a whole new website, maybe yours needs a facelift or strategic improvements that generate stronger conversion rates. Refreshing the design elements to make your site feel “new and improved” is valuable. However, if your website doesn’t meet current technology standards, especially mobile responsiveness and site speed, superficial improvements won’t help.
SEO is more than a buzzword-acronym. Search engine optimization defined is:
- Every webpage’s metadata is optimized and user-friendly.
- Keywords are monitored and tracked.
- Landing page technical requirements are met.
- Your website ranks well with Google. (Important content/pages’ mobile scores are 60+ and desktop scores are 80+.)
If your website has low-to-no SEO, that’s the number-one reason to invest in new website design. Here are 9 additional reasons:
- Branding – your company identity – is not reflected in the design or contents.
- Cellphone users have a hard time viewing some or all pages.
- Code on your website is so outdated that your in-house tech wizard can’t perform easy fixes or changes.
- Google can’t find you. Frequent website updates make Google happy; well-maintained sites are boosted higher in rankings.
- Navigation is so difficult that your bounce rate is too high. It’s easier for users to leave your site than explore further.
- The load speed is too slow: If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, the majority of visitors begin easing toward the x-out button. A mobile load speed of 5 seconds generates twice as much revenue for businesses as slower speeds.
- The website appearance itself is almost an embarrassment.
- You were a pioneer in small business websites! But if your site still runs on Adobe Flash, you need a new website: Flash was phased out in 2017. In fact, if your website is more than 5 years old, you need a professional redesign or new site.
- Your business website is a DIY (do-it-yourself) development, plus it’s unsupported. You can make a much greater difference doing what you do best rather than prioritizing your company website. “I have seen too many DIY website failures to wish this on any business owner,” says one prominent digital design professional.
The Excitement of a New Website
There’s no denying the thrill of having a new website. But as with every project, the biggest challenge is getting started. Our website design and management team can help you get started on the path toward a dynamic, exciting online presence. We’ll prioritize strategies to boost your Google search rankings.
If you need a redesign or a new website, we are the local digital marketing firm specializing in Cypress, Magnolia, Spring, The Woodlands, and Tomball business development. The excitement begins when you call 512-632-5662 or contact Modern Marketing & Media.
FAQ
Two of the frequently asked questions we receive about new websites are:
If your website is out of sync with your business and doesn’t deliver results, it’s due for an update. Research suggests the average website life expectancy is 2 years, 7 months.
You’ll want to discuss cost, what you need, and what you want. Other questions you should ask include:
- Can you provide maintenance?
- Do I really need a blog page?
- How long will it take?
- What do you need from me?
- What other websites have you designed?
- What types of packages do you offer?
- Who is my contact person?
- Who owns my new website?
- Will you measure my new website results?
