Initial Website Analysis

Talk given at Oxford High School to their website marketing class

Transcript

1. Initial Website Analysis Jeff Mackey, SIX15 solutions January 18, 2013 Friday, January 18, 13
2. Nice to meet you • SIX15 Solutions, LLC WordPress development, website design • 18+ years IT experience • DetroitNet.org, Refresh Detroit • IT Advisory Chair for Oxford High School Friday, January 18, 13
3. The Challenge • Research website, products / services • Suggest ways to restructure, change and update website to create a wider audience and generate more customers Friday, January 18, 13
4. The Subjects • Sweet and savory Bake Shop • Creative Embroidery • Hanson's Running Store • Sherman Publications • wiches • ArtCapsule • Tool Sport USA • Choo Choo's Chocolates Friday, January 18, 13
5. What I look at first • Type of business; what is the website’s role? • What Call to Action is there (if any)? • Does site structure / design serve purpose / role? • Content mix (text to photos / graphics / ads) • Search page-rank (for industry key words) • Show me the Visitor Stats / Analytics Friday, January 18, 13
6. What I look at next • Compare it to competitor websites • How fast does the website load? • Is it cross-browser compatible? • How does it look and perform on mobile? • Is there a CMS? Database? CC processing? • Adhering to website coding standards? • On & off page optimization Friday, January 18, 13
7. Look & Feel • Budget for design; you only get 5 seconds • Give it polish • Larger font sizes • Absolutely no Flash, Java • Minimize use of “stock” photography Friday, January 18, 13
8. Content • Each page must have obvious purpose • Cut the number of sentences by half • More photos of products, results of service • Let it breathe -- whitespace is fine • Drive traffic with Call to Action Friday, January 18, 13
9. Embrace social media • Claim your brand on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn • Create branded pages on all networks • Blog often, about relevant industry topics; link to blog posts from social accounts • Drive social media traffic to website Friday, January 18, 13
10. Email • Set up email newsletter campaign software • Collect email addresses from social media outlets, blog, and website • Send branded, promotional emails • Segment lists, offer specials Friday, January 18, 13
11. Page optimization • Analyze visitor paths • A/B test all landing pages • Keyword analysis for search engine ranking • Utilize Google’s Webmaster tools • Code for page load speed, standards Friday, January 18, 13
12. Sweet and savory Bake Shop Friday, January 18, 13
13. Creative Embroidery Friday, January 18, 13
14. Hanson's Running Store Friday, January 18, 13
15. Sherman Publications Friday, January 18, 13
16. wiches Friday, January 18, 13
17. ArtCapsule Friday, January 18, 13
18. Tool Sport USA Friday, January 18, 13
19. Choo Choo's Chocolates Friday, January 18, 13