Support Articles

How can I increase my brand power online?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 06:15:47 GMT

A website will help with your branding identity

��‍♀️ The obvious advantage of a website is to be found online by search engines, we all hear about the importance of SEO, SEM, digital marketing etc ... but another very simple (yet very important reason) is to solidify your brand.⁠

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Branding goes further than your logo and some business cards, although these are an essential first step to set up the baseline look and feel for your business.⁠

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A professional web designer will ensure your website is designed in such a way that your existing branding is incorporated and your marketing efforts really pack a punch. We create a uniform professional look that ties in with the rest of your marketing.⁠

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Consistency, simplicity and repetition is key if you want your business to be recognised at a glance and remembered for the future.

How can I choose an edgy domain name?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Tue, 26 May 2020 06:17:44 GMT

With the .com and .com.au spaces becoming increasingly crowded, you now have the perfect opportunity to strengthen your brand and help boost your search rankings with a unique web address.

In 2015 a large range of new domain name extensions now offer website owners the chance to customise their website URL and offer their searchers an easier name to remember. With the variety of themed options becoming available, your branding opportunities are endless, you are no longer limited to the traditional ".com" or ".com.au" domain name extension for your business.

For example, if your business name is Green Ant Boutique, you might currently have a domain name like:

www.greenantboutique .com.au ... but with the new domain name system, you could possibly have
www.greenant .boutique - doesn't that sound so much better! It's shorter, more creative and fun.

So don't worry if another business has 'taken' your .com.au address, why not consider one of these new generation name choices. We are happy to assist you in searching for a name to reflect your brand perfectly.

How do I change ownership of a domain name?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Tue, 26 May 2020 06:12:53 GMT

When a business sells to a new owner, the domain name and website are often part of the transaction. The existing and new business owners may find the following information handy to know:

.au domain name (eg .com.au, .net.au, .org.au etc)

An offical Registrant Name Change is required. This transfers the ownership of a domain name ending in .au from one party to another.
The new owner will need to provide the domain registrar or web developer their full name, mailing address, phone number, business name with corresponding ABN, company structure (eg sole trader, company)
There will be an administration fee charged by the domain name provider and this will be quoted at the time of request, in most cases this will be due for payment before the application is started
The process will also be treated as a brand new re-registration of the domain name, giving a new renewal date
Once the domain manager applies for the transfer, an email will be sent to domain owner to approve the transfer - timing of transfer will depend on how fast the existing owner approves this request
Once the domain name transfer has been approved by the Registrar, your new domain name certificate will be available usually within 24 hours of approval

gTLD domain (generic Top Level Domain) (eg .com, .net., .org etc)

There are no strict ownership rules for gTLD's
The new owner will need to provide the domain registrar or web developer with their full name, mailing address, phone number and business number (no business number or company structure is required)
A small admin fee may apply, and would be quoted at the time of request
The contact details will be updated and a new domain name certificate will be available usually within 24 hours of name change

.com, .com.au, .net ... which do I choose?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Tue, 26 May 2020 06:08:13 GMT

There are so many domain options available: .com, .net. .org.au and many more. We often get asked how to choose a domain name so have provided some tips on how to secure the best domain name for your business.

.au is the best if you (and your customers) are based in Australia

If you operate a business in Australia, I recommend to at least secure the Australian .au domain name as your primary domain and ideally, also the international domain equivalent. The international domain system (eg .com) has no eligibility requirements so anybody could secure "your" domain name so make sure you grab it before somebody else does!

com.au : For commercial entities, such as companies (with ACN as registered through ASIC), and businesses (registered with state governments)
asn.au : For incorporated associations, political parties, trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs
org.au : For charities and non-profit organisations

Other domain types

There are less popular domain options such as .net.au, .biz, .info and more. I recommend that businesses stick with the more commonly used domains as above. They are easier for your clients to remember, show up better in the search engines and have more credibility for your organisation! For example if you operate an Australian business and your domain name ends in .com, people will wonder if you are registered or if you operate in Australia or America! Most businesses will use .com.au

What name to choose

Once you have decided on the domain extension (eg .com.au, .com etc), you will of course need to choose the actual name. The following tips may help you decide:

a short, easy name to remember (imagine telling customers over the phone to visit the website, pick something you don't have to spell out to them)
if your business name is quite long, consider an abbreviation or acronym
if you don't want to register a name based on your business name itself, consider a short name that describes the goods or services you provide
Symbols (except for a - dash), punctuation, spaces and uppercase are not valid for a domain name

Registering you domain name is just as important as registering your business name (even if you aren't planning a website for awhile). You can use your domain name for professional email accounts which is so much better than using a free email service (eg hotmail, yahoo) or using ISP provided email addresses (eg bigpond, iinet etc) !

What are the ongoing costs of a website?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Tue, 26 May 2020 06:02:47 GMT

Many clients often find themselves confused by the various costs associated with running a website, especially when different suppliers are involved. To help clarify, we've summarised the key services and their associated renewal costs below:

1. Domain Name Registration

A recurring cost to maintain ownership of your website address:

The domain name is your website's address (eg www.simplepages.com.au). This incurs a recurring expense, invoiced either yearly (for .com and .au domains) or bi-yearly (for .com.au domains). Invoices may come from the domain registrar, a reseller, or your web designer. Domain names are typically inexpensive, with prices varying based on the supplier and the level of support provided. Domains can be parked (similar to registering a business name) but are usually linked to a website and email addresses. Failure to renew your domain name will result in your website and email accounts going offline. After a period of suspension, the domain name will be released back to the market for others to register.

2. Web Hosting

A recurring cost to store your website files and ensure it's accessible online:

Web hosting is the service that stores your website files and database, making your website accessible on the internet. This cost is separate from your general internet connection and is typically billed monthly or yearly by your web hosting provider, reseller, or web designer. Hosting costs can vary significantly, from inexpensive overseas plans to more comprehensive SAAS-based packages that include software, updates, security patches and web design support. Generally, you get what you pay for with hosting, so cheap hosting can be risky for business use. Failure to renew your hosting will result in your website going offline. Expired hosting accounts are often not retrievable as the provider may delete unused sites.

3. Web Design and Development

A one-time cost for creating the initial website:

After securing a domain name and web hosting, you'll need a website. This one-time cost covers the design and development of your website until it is ready to launch. Prices vary widely, from free DIY solutions to custom-designed professional websites. It’s not possible to compare solely on price, and as with most things, you get what you pay for. Cheap websites can be problematic for business owners and poorly reflect your brand or not be optimised correctly for search engines. While website design is a one-time cost, additional expenses may arise if you decide to redesign your website in the future. Typically, a site needs refreshing every few years to stay current with technical and design trends, but this is entirely up to you.

4. eCommerce / Payment Gateway Charges

If Applicable - Fees for online stores or payment forms:

If your website includes eCommerce functionality or online payment options, setup costs and fees will depend on the chosen payment gateway provider. Set up fees will depend on the complexity of your eCommerce set up and the ongoing fees charged by the payment provider usually involves a small percentage of each sale plus a transaction fee.

5. Design and Content Maintenance

Recommended - for professional updates to keep your website current and effective:

This optional expense covers professional design, content, or feature updates carried out by your web designer. Regular maintenance ensures your website remains current and effective, which is beneficial for search engine rankings. Costs for these updates can be paid as needed or included in your yearly or monthly hosting fee. Simple Pages offers web hosting that not only includes security updates but also comprehensive content updates of all sizes.

There are other costs involved with running your business online, such as email hosting, ongoing search engine optimisation, online marketing and social media management, but the above are the basics which are sufficient for most small businesses websites.

How do I set up my business emails?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Tue, 26 May 2020 05:54:02 GMT

Are you confused about the best set up solution for your business email account/s? We totally understand! This is an issue we come across with our clients many times over the years and have some guidance below

1. Non-domain based email account

By "non-domain based", we are referring to an email address that ends with the name of the supplier in the address.

Free Email Services (eg: simplepages@gmail.com)

There are quite a few online email provider like the popular Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail services. Most people are familiar with these, signing up for a new account is quick and easy and of course, FREE! but these accounts don't appear professional and are best used for personal correspondence only. If you simply must use a free account like this, we would recommend Gmail over Hotmail or Yahoo and some of the others.

Internet Service Provider (eg: simplepages@bigpond.com)

Email accounts are usually offered with your internet provider usually for free. An email account using one of these may end in something like @bigpond.com, @westnet.com.au etc. We don't recommend using one of these for your business for a couple of reasons. Firstly, in the future, you may likely change your internet provider, in which case you will lose your email account. Secondly, why advertise your ISP in your email address (do you customers need to know who your internet provider is?) when you could be advertising your own business instead!

2. Professional domain based email account

By "domain based" we are referring to your business domain name, not a third party's.

This is a custom business email address that uses your business domain name in it's address. For example support@simplepages.com.au is a domain based email account that is far more professional for our business than one of the free service emails like simplepagessupport@bigpond.com. Firstly, you will need to register your domain name (which you will use for your website too) and then you can consider a few different ways to host (manage and store) the email account itself and there are a few options:

Host with your website (not recommended)

Website hosting packages often include email hosting as well, often as part of their cPanel. While this might sound like a good cheap solution to roll your email together with your website hosting plan, it comes with it's problems. Usually web designers are not IT tech support providers, so your support may be very limited. If mail goes down for some reason or you can't get your computer or device set up, you could be left feeling very frustrated and in a panic when your web designer can't help you. Business email is too important and technology is constantly changing in this area, this is the main reason why Simple Pages do not provide email hosting with websites any longer, we are not computer tech support providers, we prefer to specialise in websites and online marketing.

Web hosted email can also have some other technical limitations like limited storage space and problems syncing with other software programs and devices. We have seen many clients who have used web hosted emails run into issues when their mailbox has become so full, it has crashed their website too.

Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a professional solution offered by Google and is my preferred option for a very small business needing only a few email accounts at the most. At the time of writing this service costs approximately $8.95/month with a massive 30GB storage inbox. There are other features like online documents, spreadsheets and calendars.

Please contact us if you'd like to get started with Google Workspace .

Microsoft Exchange cloud email / Office 365

If you are a Microsoft user, this solution is very powerful. All your emails, folders, contacts - everything in Outlook - is sync'd between all your devices and easily shared with other staff - making it the best tool for communications and teams within your business. This is a good solution for small to medium business wanting multiple email addresses, and has been a popular choice for many of our clients.

Pricing may vary depending on your chosen IT provider.

Why aren't I getting leads from my new website yet?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Mon, 25 May 2020 11:40:31 GMT

So you have a new website but the phone isn't ringing off the hook? Were you expecting an overnight success with your website?

This article is not about web design or search engine optimisation but outlines some suggestions that you, the website owner, can take to help boost genuine visitors to your site once it has been launched. You may be sitting back wondering where all your new clients are. There are some simple things to keep in mind and some low cost ideas to help you get your website 'out there'.

The search engines

Submitting to the search engines doesn't actually guarantee a listing and isn't really necessary at all (although, it can't hurt if you want to). Search engines use a special technology (searchbots or spiders) that constantly crawl the web gathering information from websites - and your website needs to be designed properly so the searchbots can find your site and index it effectively.

It can take quite a while (even up to a few months) for a new site to be indexed on the search engines and a lot longer to gain a high ranking. With this in mind, it is important to not become too consumed about the search engine side of things and take some additional steps to help boost your site's popularity in the meantime.

Social media

Drive people to your website from your facebook page, instagram or the social platform of choice. Entire books and many online courses are available for this form of marketing so I won't go into too much detail here, but if you haven't considered this yet - now is the time. Ensure your links are in your profile information as well as your daily posts.

Offline advertising and marketing

Don't neglect the good old fashioned (offline) methods of advertising your website such as your brochures, business cards, TV adverts, car signage - in fact anything that is visible to a potential client, ensure your website address is large and proud.

Email signature

An effective and free way to constantly advertise your site is to add your website link to the signature of each email you send out (along with your name, business name & phone number). It sounds obvious but many people miss this. This is easily set up within your mail software to appear automatically when starting and replying to a message and well worth the effort (5 minutes of your time).

Fresh website content

Keep your website up to date. Have you visited a site that looked outdated, giving the impression that the owner didn't really care or were not even operating any more?... Fresh web content will ensure you are continually updating key phrases to your site too (great for search engine robots). Consider adding and maintaining some of the following content on your site as applicable to your business:

News, price lists, menus, photo samples of your product or service, timetables and schedules, introduction of new products or services, information sheets and interesting (relevant) articles, recipes, special offers and discounts...

The list doesn't stop there, there are many ideas that could be applicable to your type of business and regular content will make your visitors want to come back again to see what's new (and make them feel they are dealing with an active business).

Marketing books, courses and webinars can offer ideas or you could have a brain storming session with your friends or work colleagues for something truly unique! The more interesting your site, the more chance of other sites linking to you (see next section).

Links TO your website

Try to obtain links to your site from other websites. Search engines will recognise your website as being 'popular' if it has other good quality high ranking websites pointing to it and this may boost your ranking. Plus you'll have the added exposure by actually appearing on other sites. To do this, you need to contact other website owners requesting that they link to your site (and the advantages for them to do so), but approach 'quality' sites only. By 'quality sites', I mean websites that:

are already highly ranked in the search engines (ie reputable and appear high in search results when searching for a particular key phrase).
contain subject matter that is relevant to your website's content (that way the visitors to that site are definitely looking for your type of product or service).

Some examples of where your links could appear:

Your suppliers
Industry specific directories (eg if you sell pet supplies, search for 'pet supply directories' in Google and then add your site to the good sites that offer free submissions). Be wary of paid submissions as they are not always worth it.
Local directories - the large search engines are great, but local directories for your town and country are good especially if they are manually maintained and there is some control as to what is added.
Any associations or networking clubs you are members or affiliated with including general business groups in your area or professional associations. They may or may not offer a free listing and link to your website as part of your membership.
On websites where you submit your professional advice or feedback about the specialist industry you are in, this could include online forums where your website address can be included in your signature.

In many cases people will find your site indirectly through another directory or link, whether you were ranked highly in the search results or not... the visitor finds your site, that is the main thing.

Do not discount the option of adding your link to overseas specialist directories, so long as the subject matter is relevant, your customer base is overseas and particularly if you have a niche product or service. Remember that keeping your website informative, fresh and up to date will make it more enticing to link to.

Use your website to its full advantage

Your website can save you time and money, even if you are not ranked number 1 or you aren't getting the influx of new customers straight off the search engines. Use it for what it is - ie a publically accessible document that is available to everyone 24 hours a day.

Your site is still a valuable tool, for example, when you get phone enquiries about something complex that you find yourself repeating over and over, you could refer that person to your website for a fact sheet that they can download with diagrams and all. You could have forms on your site so people can make enquiries and submit them to you or you could have a special section of the site just for staff. A website can be a powerful vehicle to help you, your staff and clients on a day to day basis - just remember to direct people to it often.

Be realistic (and patient)

Perhaps you should be realistic with what you want your website to achieve for you. Are you expecting to become rich overnight with your website? EVERYONE wants to be number 1 in the search engines for a given search term and realistically (and obviously) - only one website can be number one for a given search. How many well established companies are you up against for that number one spot? Is it realistic and achievable to climb to the top? Even if it is a realistic goal, it will take time...

There is of course paid Google advertising, feel free to enquire for more details.

Hint - the more 'niche' your product or service is, the easier and more realistic for you. Ensure you are aware of your niche area and make sure your website content reflects this when you have it designed and updated.

Are you worried about how many 'hits' you are getting to your site? Once again quality, not quantity count here. If you receive hundreds of visitors to your site but no sales, you're not doing well even if you have an impressive array of visitors. If you receive only 5 visitors and 3 genuine enquires, that's far better and your site is working for you.

THE BOTTOM LINE....Is your website worth visiting?

OK, so you've had a site professionally designed, submitted to the search engines, specialist directories, practised all of the traditional advertising methods of advertising too and you're still wondering where all your customers are? Perhaps this item should really be the first to appear: "Is your website worth visiting?" Are you offering something that people want or are searching for? Why should people visit you? Lets face it, not many people are going to go out of their way to read a company brochure on a product or service that isn't in demand - even if it has good exposure. Think of the junk mail and spam you ignore each day...

So when you advertise your site, you could also add a reason to visit. Fresh inviting content about your products and services and how to buy, a special offer, the latest products, some free tips and advice (relevant to your products/services of course), a free assessment or trial, a timetable of events - it all comes back to keeping your website content fresh, informative and inviting.

I've received a domain name invoice, is it a scam?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Mon, 25 May 2020 11:16:30 GMT

Be wary of an 'official' looking invoice in the mail, it looks convincing but it can be filed in the bin!

Over the years, my clients have been receiving hard copy invoices in the mail from "Domain Registry Pty Ltd", "Domain Name Group Pty Ltd" or similar 'official' sounding companies. The invoice requests payment of domain registration for a .com or .net version of your .com.au domain. The examples I have seen operate in Melbourne, Victoria - but I believe there are other letters being sent out by other scammers from all parts of the world asking for renewals of not only .com but .net or others.

The official looking document appears as a renewal invoice for the original domain name, and is misleading customers into paying very high fees for domain registration ($249 AUD for 2 years, which is crazy!), one invoice even promised that you would receive an iPod if paid by specific date. The microscopic fine print on some of these invoices state that you are not obliged to pay, but you need to read very carefully to notice it.

Scammers like these harvest postal addresses belonging to owners of the .com.au domain equivalents by checking the "contact us" area of their websites, making the invoice appear legitimate. It certainly looks convincing so please be careful.

WARNING : DO NOT PAY THIS INVOICE without checking with your domain name supplier or web designer first.

I've received an email from an 'Online Strategist', is it legit?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Mon, 25 May 2020 11:07:54 GMT

Some of our clients have been concerned about an 'Online Strategist' finding issues with their website. If you have a website, chances are you have received a similar email recently.

The email content goes something like this:

"Hi, My name is Olivia and I am an Online Strategist. I've been tracking the success of your website while doing some research on your industry—I'm impressed with your company, but there are some real opportunities for growth that you currently are missing. Are you interested in several proven strategies to use content and social media to drive relevant traffic to your site? In 20 minutes I can show you how to fuel your brand and generate more revenue from search engines and social networks. This is a $500 value free of charge. I’d like to follow up about this with a quick phone call. Can I call you this week to discuss your campaign? Thank you Best regards, Olivia"

and another one:

"Hey Guys, I hope you're well. My name is Ryan I work for a local online marketing company in Melbourne. I was doing some research on some of your competitors when I came across your site. I noticed while you have a decent looking website, you don’t appear in Google’s organic listings for a whole bunch of keywords pertaining to your industry. The agency I work for could get you guys a lot more leads online. Whether that is through making sure you appear in the organic listing (where over 80% of people click) on Google, or Just by making sure your website convert a lot more visitors into leads. Given your current landing page, I can only assume it's not converting anymore than 3% of people visiting your site. I hope you don't mind me emailing, I just find it a little less invasive from calling you up and interrupting what ever it is you are doing at this present moment :) If this sounds like something of interest, or something you would like to explore further - simply reply with full contact details and I will give you a quick buzz. Regards, Ryan"

I received the above emails myself and have seen many variations claiming my website supposedly does not comply with Google or does not rank well.

Funny thing is, all of the emails I have checked from these spammers have a similar theme:

their own website (or company name, contact details...) are missing from their email signature (not so great online strategy!)
upon looking at their domain, they don't even seem to have a website at all (how can this be taken seriously?!)
some of their emails come from gmail account or similar (even less professional)
how would they know what my desired key words are, what I'm trying to achieve or if I need more leads
If they researched my website as they claim, how would they know I'm missing opportunities when I've had great results from my website over the past 10 years?

Although these emails sometimes sound convincing especially if they are based in Australia, these messages are aimed at most business owners who don't have time to research the web. I've done the research for you and rest assured these emails are nothing but spam, they have not researched your website in particular, this is a mass mail-out. To any of our clients, please let us know if you have any queries or ever receive a similar email that you are unsure of. We're happy to check it out for you!

A Chinese company wants to apply for my domain name, is it real?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Mon, 25 May 2020 10:58:29 GMT

There are emails circulating from domain registration companies in China trying to convince you to register the Chinese equivalent of your existing domain name.

I have received the following email myself (and there are different variations circulating):

Dear darwinwebdesign team,Our organization received a formal application from a company who is called Moltion Ltd are applying to register "darwinwebdesign" as their domain name and Internet keyword. In order to prevent cyber piracy,Please explain: 1: Whether this company is your IT supplier or distributor.2: Whether you are interested in registering these domains first to preservation your company’s brand. (.cn .com.cn .net .asia .eu and keyword etc…)We are now obligated to inform you this issue ,So we will handle the next step after this audit procedure. Pls understand.Best regards ObertMww Group Internet: www.todayisp.comInternet: www.dboxs.org Email: Obert@dboxs.orTip: Don’t answer the email or they will do the hard sell. I’ve seen the same email on numerous occasions over the years – so all is fine to delete and forget.

If for some reason you think that you DO need a Chinese domain name, please contact a reputable local domain registrar for advice on registration.

I received a renewal from 'Online Business Registration', is it legit?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Mon, 25 May 2020 10:51:41 GMT

Australian businesses are receiving letters asking them to renew their business names via credit card.

These letters are suspicious, as they clearly state that they are not from ASIC and are from a "private business registration services provider." This is a red flag. While they might renew your business name on your behalf, it is likely at inflated prices, and they are banking on people not questioning the legitimacy of the letter.

To ensure your business name is properly and securely renewed, always do it directly through ASIC and ignore any third-party requests.

The example shown below is a letter I received back in 2018 for a previous business name. While this was some time ago, similar letters are still circulating today.

How is building a website like building a house?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 06:29:14 GMT

It struck me the other day that as a web designer, my work shares some traits with professionals in the building industry. Funnily I have worked in this field in my younger years as a drafter so perhaps this was a natural progression to what I am doing today.

Here are some comparisons:

Price and quality of both fields will vary, from the cheap DIY option to the high end designers
A website and house both need plans before they can commence construction
They both have an 'under construction' process
They both need a solid foundation to function properly
There are many different 'tradies' associated with each stream for example with websites you have designers, coders, graphic designers, copywriters, SEO specialists etc... vs a builder who has a drafter, architect, interior designer, plumbers, electricians, tilers etc
They both usually have a staged payment process
Both end results come in different colours, styles, sizes with some looking expensive and others looking nasty
Both designs can either be 'off the plan' (or from a pre-designed template) or completely custom designed and built (or anything in between) and their pricing will usually reflect the level of customisation for each project
Builders and web designers branch into specialities - for example some web designers focus on small business, eCommerce or a certain business sector niche whereas builders might specialise in homes, skyscrapers or renovations
Some builders don't do house extensions or renovations (they specialise in new constructions), some web designers also don't extend onto an existing website or fix an old website (they specialise in upgrading their own sites or creating brand new ones)
Both constructions can be attacked by outside forces, houses can be damaged by pests if not treated with pest control and websites can be hacked if not properly secured and protected
Both end products (a house and a website) age, are subject to trends in the industry and require ongoing maintenance to look up to date and not break down

So if you wonder "how much does it cost for a website?" it could be similar to asking "how much does it cost for a house?". There are so many different factors to consider. If you'd like a quote for your new website, please complete the contact form below and we can gauge the size of your project and send you some information.

How can I avoid my website looking like a pizza?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 06:11:15 GMT

I was in a meeting with a long term client and we were discussing the re-design of their out-dated website.

Years previously, the site started out with a very structured custom design suitable for the original content. Over time, little logos, links and other bits and bobs were gradually added to the home page as interim updates. Eventually my client agreed it was starting to look messy and said that it resembled a pizza ! I LOVED this comparison, it describes it perfectly and is a very common issue with evolving websites, especially if a client updates carries out DIY updates.

A good web design needs structure and a tidy grid layout in order for content to have their place on the page. This not only makes it neat, professional and easy to view but allows the various sections to stack correctly when the page is accessed on a mobile device.

Establishing Design and Structure

During the design and coding of a new website, a good web designer will ensure that all elements are carefully taken into consideration so they are placed in the best possible manner. Sometimes sections are built so more content can be neatly added over time in a clean structured format (eg features such as photo galleries, blog articles, portfolios, logo carousels all allow for growth). Sometimes certain items may be left off the page entirely if they are irrelevant - as we say 'Less is More'. The website is then launched and should stay looking great for quite some time.

And then come the bits and pieces ...

Then... it's very normal for web designers to receive a request from a client such as "can you please add this sponsor logo somewhere on the bottom" or "we need this video on the home page" or "can we add an important event to the home page so it stands out" ... and many similar scenarios. Or in some cases, clients will try and do these things themselves which usually is a recipe for disaster that I won't elaborate in this article. Upon receiving such a request, the first thing I would plan is "where this will fit". This is usually OK if the website is structured in such a way to accommodate additional items OR if the client is willing to have some re-design work done to shift things around properly to fit in the new item. Shuffling things around in the web design world is not always as simple as dragging and dropping like you would in an office program though. Web design grid content is coded into the template and requires quite a bit of development time and skill (and testing). Sometimes with additional updates, we are lucky and can squeeze in an extra logo next to another one and the design will stay intact, but quite often not, and if the client is not willing to have the extra design work carried out, the page will lose it's original structure and start looking rapidly... like a pizza. Little bits of chopped up pieces scattered willy nilly all over the place.

How to avoid this and get great value from your professional design

The safest approach is to work with your current design and have it re-structured professionally as you add new sections so everything has it's place and isn't fighting for attention (and also so it remains coded correctly to scale to mobile devices).

Quite often little graphics a client thinks look good, really are not helpful for your site visitors and only create clutter so are best left out entirely (or added to a different web page on your site).

If you follow these guidelines and take the advice from your web designer, your website will look well maintained, professional and easy on the eye for your visitors for many years. A total re-design will only then be necessary once your business has changed it's direction or the overall look and technology has aged.

How do I choose a colour scheme for my website?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 06:02:11 GMT

Creating a custom designed website from scratch may seem daunting and as a client, you may feel the need to choose the colour scheme and style. Some clients are very proactive in this approach and many others are happy to leave this to their web designer.

Below are my two simple methods to choose the best design theme for your website:

Existing branding

This is definitely my first choice. If your brand is established and you already have up to date professional quality business cards, leaflets, letterhead or other marketing material in circulation, then it is very important that the same look and feel is followed through to your website to give a consistent and memorable branding experience for your customers. Some larger businesses may have an official style guide created by a branding company but most small businesses do not have this. If you are undertaking a new design with Darwin Web, be sure to include any existing marketing material so I can ensure that the images, colours, fonts and any other style elements will carry through to your website.

Logos and images

If your business does not have any branding or marketing material in place yet, that is fine too. Sometimes the website is the first professional design point and any future marketing material is based on the web design itself. If this is the case, I would generally design the website to suit your logo and imagery that complement your business services. A good quality logo and clear professional photos are important for the best result. Your colour ideas are welcome and taken into account although I don't always recommend designing a business website based on a personal 'favourite colour' or quirky style, unless it works well with the type of business you are running.

Colour Inspiration

Most clients want to leave this to me (preferred) but if you would like to specify a colour palette, there are plenty of online resources to inspire (or more likely overwhelm)...

Jot down any website addresses that you like the look of and make a note of why? Which element do you like? Is it the menu navigation? The banner? The general colour and style?
Google the term: "Web Design Color Inspiration" (I find the American spelling of 'Color' brings more results) and browse websites for ideas, like this one: www.design-seeds.com
Browse Pinterest and type in "Web Design Colors" for lots of ideas

Bear in mind your chosen colour palette may not suit your logo or brand so I generally don't encourage clients to be too involved in this part of the design process, it often slows the project down as it can be overwhelming - after all, that is what you are paying a web designer to do for you!

What is the difference between a bitmap and vector graphic?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 05:53:22 GMT

There are two types of digital image files: Vector (preferred format for logos and illustrations) or Bitmap (preferred format for photos). Below we explain each format:

Vector

Construction : Scalable geometric points, lines and curves based on mathematical expressions
Popular file extensions : .ai, .eps, svg but there are others
Examples : Logos, diagrams, fonts, illustrations, solid colour graphics
Transparency : is possible for example a logo with background removed so graphic is isolated
Scalability : unlimited enlargement size without any loss of quality (ie edges remain crisp and clear, ideal for signage, billboards and any other large format needs)

Bitmap (also known as Raster)

Construction : Tiny squares (pixels) for a computer screen or points of colour for printed media
Popular file extensions : .jpg, .gif, .tiff, bmp but there are others
Examples : Photos, graphics with many shades of colour, poor quality logos
Transparency : is not possible, there will be a solid background
Scalability : Poor, quality will degrade showing blurred content and rough edges (pixels) upon enlarging

Where can I get photos for my website?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 05:42:23 GMT

"A picture is worth a thousands words" is a well known phrase dating back from the 1900's and is most certainly relevant for our current online world too.

Most websites will need images in the form of logos, diagrams, maps and of course... photos.

Photographs will make your website effective to ensure your customers can visualise:

Your products or work examples (or whatever your website is promoting)
Your staff, your customers, your events (to give a personal feel to your site)
Your office, shopfront and surroundings (to help your customers find you or confirm your location)

In addition to showcasing something specific to your website, photos are often carefully selected for setting the theme for your design and branding elements. Photos will help separate the busy page text into something more pleasant to read, it makes the page easier on the eye and gives it personality.

Sourcing your website photos, some options:

The internet

This actually ISN'T a viable option ... but I wanted to mention it because it comes up often with my clients when they are getting together their images for me. Unfortunately taking photos 'from the net' isn't allowed. It's illegal / a breach of copyright to copy images from other people's websites, google images or anywhere else online (unless you have the owner's permission). But see below for some legal options:

Stock photos

These are purchased photos from an online stock image store and are the legal way to use photos from the internet for your own use. Example stock photo sites include www.istockphoto.com and www.bigstockphoto.com , but there are many others available. Pricing is usually in the form of prepaid credits and it's a low cost way to source a huge array of good quality images. Stock photos can be great if chosen wisely, some of them look a bit corny or 'stock photo-ish' and can actually spoil your design. If you aren't sure what 'stock photo-ish' means (it's a term I made up) and I'm designing your website, please contact me and I'll check over your choices and let you know what I think. It may also be difficult to source a stock photo if the image is more unusual or specialised, but for something common (eg grassy hills, beautiful sky, plants, trades, objects etc), it's well worth the look.

Existing branding

If you have photos already (from brochures and adverts), they will often be perfect to use on your website as well. This streamlines your branding so your website will match other forms of media you already have in place.

Take your own photos

This is a common source of website photos because it's almost every one has a digital camera, but be careful with quality. No matter how well designed your website is, a lousy photo can spoil it instantly and unfortunately the best web designer cannot do anything about this (apart from leaving the photo off, in which case I would be brutally honest and advise if this needs to be done). Be sure your own photos are crisp and clear, light and bright, straight and framed well. Remove untidy clutter, rubbish bins, brooms or anything ugly from the background. Leave room for cropping if possible (eg don't zoom in too close to the subject). Have a selection of mostly landscape (generally used more) and portrait orientated photos where it suits.

A note on mobile phone photos

From experience, some phone photos can be quite "OK" as the cameras are getting better these days, but a lot of the time the file type can be buggy and uploading to the website can actually flip the photo sideways or upside down. If this happens with your phone camera, we will need to use a more reliable digital camera instead (alternatively you can open your phone photos in a graphics program then export them one by one, which may end up being too fiddly for a large quantity of photos).

Dimension wise, your website photos should generally be about 1200px on the widest edge to allow for cropping if needed, larger photos may be provided if they are used as feature or full width banners. Huge files are not needed, .tiff files are not supported and far too large. File type should be jpg.

Your supplier's photos

If you are a reseller for another company's products, they may have some photos to provide for your website. These are often top quality and prepared by their marketing departments for this very purpose, so be sure to ask your suppliers if they have photos you can use.

Hire a photographer

This is highly recommended for the best possible result. If your budget allows it, I recommend that you look into this option particularly for the main large images of your home page. Your professional images will also be a valuable investment to use in your print marketing materials and other advertising.

The last option I will mention briefly is to leave photos out all together. Occasionally a business does not need photos and we can use some other smart textures and shapes instead.

How can I make my website easy to navigate?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 04:11:24 GMT

There's a lot of talk about search engine friendly websites but your website should be human friendly too!

If you are planning a new website or expanding an existing one, it's important to keep your page menu very simple so visitors don't become overwhelmed and leave your site.

Keep top level pages to a minimum

A typical business website with a good menu structure (sitemap) might have a page structure like the following :

Home (this should always the first link)

About Us

Company History
Our Team

Services (or products)

Service (or product) 1
Service (or product) 2
Service (or product) 3
etc

Extra top level page example might be Testimonials, FAQ's or Blog etc

Notice how the top level (parent) pages are kept to a minimum, there are only 5 main pages with this example: (Home, About Us, Services, (Extra Page), Contact Us) with the additional pages set up as child pages (shown as dot points) or as a sub-menu which typically might dropdown when you hover over the top level link. This keeps the pages nice and compact, well categorised and easy to navigate. Of course depending on the type of business and size of website, the menu pages may differ in their naming from my example above. Generally the Home page is always first and the Contact Us page is last, with the customised page menu items sitting in between.

Don't try and be 'different'

The navigational structure of your website isn't the place to be too quirky and creative. Your customers want to find info fast and will look elsewhere if the info is not in a standard format which they are accustomed to. You may think it's cool but it will only be annoying to every one else.

Don't have too many sub-menus

My example above demonstrates a menu that has one level depth of sub-pages (ie a 2 level navigation). If the website is particularly large, it may be justifiable to have 3 levels but most don't need it. Don't go crazy and have sub, sub, sub, sub pages... this will drive you mad (from a maintenance perspective) and your audience will find it too hard.

Consolidate

If you you have too many pages on your old website, review their content and try and merge pages together. For example, your one paragraph 'mission statement' most likely doesn't justify a separate page and could easily sit nicely on your 'About Us' page. Your website visitors will appreciate you saving them the extra mouse clicks too!

Web page or module?

Data driven web content can be built within modules that can handle unlimited content into consistently formatted pages. The most common examples may include blogs, news listings, galleries, custom catalogues, FAQ's and more. These modules are technically web pages, but are built into the system differently to a standard static information page.

Not sure how to structure your page menu?

It is your web designer's role to check over and recommend any improvements to your website menu hierarchy and we include this with every design project. If you're attempting to do it yourself, following the above guidelines will be a great start.

How do I find time for blogging?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 03:56:25 GMT

Blogging is a commitment and can sometimes be seen as an overwhelming chore. It doesn't have to be complicated. Keep it simple, short and sweet and your blog could serve you well.

It's worth the effort

With regular blog posts, you are continually adding search engine friendly content to your website while showing your clients that you are passionate and your business is thriving and alive. How often have you seen a website with an old blog and wondered if the business still cares about what it does or in fact still operating?

Here are some helpful tips to simplify the planning of your blog:

Ensure that the person who writes your blog articles has decent spelling and grammar. A simple writing style using plain English is fine, you don't need to be a journalist, your articles must be easy to read. Let your personality show through if you have a particular writing style.
You don't have to be a "blogger", just write about what you know, be the expert. Keep the subject matter relevant to your website or business, don't try and be too broad. They key is to keep it niche.
Short articles are best (although some SEO experts may disagree). Keeping them short is better than nothing and will enable you to maintain your blog whereas if you are aiming for long, detailed articles, then it's overwhelming and will probably not happen at all!
Use paragraphs, headings and bullets to break up the information into manageable chunks of reading. Keep an article to ONE subject each time, this way you will be able to create more short articles rather than agonise over the perfect long article. A few high quality paragraphs definitely justify a blog post, keep it simple.
Plan your blog posts in advance when you think of them, jot down your ideas somewhere before you forget. Blog subjects might include tips, ideas, experiences, case histories or instructions. I write my articles in advance when I feel inspired and save them as a draft directly in my website editor and then I can simply edit and fine tune the post when I'm ready to launch.
Write about what customers ask you (eg a FAQ item) and then refer them to your blog link to save you time explaining over and over. This also ensures you are writing about things of interest.
Don't make your articles too sales orientated, it's OK to mention that you can assist with a product or service perhaps at the end of your article, but don't make it the focus of your blog article. People want free advice !
Use good quality images to supplement your blog posts if you can, this will make it attention getting, professional and more interesting.
Encourage people to visit your blog by cross posting them to social media or emails to your customer mailing list (if you use either of these).
Choose your post frequency and try and stick to it. This may be once a week or once a month, whatever you can manage. We all get busy and I've been guilty of letting my own blog lay idle at times. Since carrying out the tips above, I have found it do-able to keep my blog reasonably up to date.

It's also OK take the pressure off !

If you have accepted that your articles will be too sporadic, ask your web designer to remove the date from the articles. This takes the pressure off and gives you the freedom to let your blog lay idle from time to time. Bear in mind this won't look good for newsworthy articles in which the content itself will give away their age.
Have no time or desire to write? Consider engaging a copywriter to do it for you ( we can help you with that !), they can research your given subject choices, ask you some focussed questions and do most of the legwork for you.
If you have no intention of keeping an updated blog, it is truly best sometimes to remove it altogether and use social media for regular news snippets. Although regular fresh content is important for a website, I believe a blog is not for every business and I will quite often suggest (to the relief of the business owner) that a blog is not the best choice for them.

If you do some form of regular blogging and have a little time to persevere, you could possibly be seen as an expert in your field and the 'go to' resource for all things that you specialise in which can keep your visitors engaged and coming back to your website boosting your Google ranking and ultimately becoming a paid customer.

How can a FAQ page benefit my business?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 03:34:54 GMT

If you spend a lot of time answering the same questions about your products and services over and over again, a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section on your website may save you a lot of time!

Most people will head to Google to research your business first and ultimately check out your website to find out more. They may scan through your content and then contact you for a series of questions which you may find yourself explaining over and over again.

A FAQ section of your website can solve this problem by listing the common questions and answers in an easy to read format. Even if the information is already within the website content pages, it is helpful to have the key FAQ's consolidated in a separate section for easy reference. When a customer contacts you after this, they are already well informed and you are one step ahead in your communication process.

Another advantage is the SEO rich content many FAQ articles will provide. Anyone searching a question on Google could end up on your website with a link to your answer which makes you the professional and could possibly turn that enquiry into a sale. Even if the visitor does not turn into a customer, the added traffic to your website can improve your overall SEO score.

So to help your customers , save you time and boost your search engine ranking , consider adding a FAQ section to your website.

Should I have a minimal home page or is it OK to scroll?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 03:15:51 GMT

I have often had clients request that their home page design is condensed to the screen so the user does not have to scroll downwards, I have summarised below why this is not necessary (or a good idea).

While it's a good idea to have important information towards the top of the screen, it is not necessary to have ALL of your content visible on the screen without the need for vertical scrolling. The idea is very old fashioned and comes about from the years old "entry page" which have a few boxes with an "enter here" link, which in itself is a bad idea for SEO.

Newspapers tend to put their main attention getting headline and story 'above the fold' which is where this idea originally came from, but websites are not printed newspapers and website usability has changed a lot since the early days of designing websites.

For years now it has been perfectly good practice to make your home page (or any other page on your website) a lot longer than the height of a computer screen.

Scrolling is a positive thing and encourages your visitors to explore your web page further, most people expect to scroll as their hand is already on the mouse, usability eye tracking tests have proven this theory
Having more information rich text content, particularly on your home page, is better for search engine indexing
It only takes a second to scroll down, but takes a lot longer to click on a link to a separate page which will annoy your visitors
Computer screens come in all sizes and resolutions (desktops, tablets, phones), so a page may fit 'perfect' on your screen will look different on someone else's anyway...
Some white space in your design is more pleasing to the eye rather than trying to force everything in a small space

DISCLAIMER: The above advice refers to small business websites. In the rare event that you require a specialised landing page that does not need to rank well in the search engines, is only for artistic purposes and has minimal content to be published, fitting your page content into a screen may be an exception to the above rule.

What common DIY web editing mistakes can I avoid?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:50:59 GMT

DIY website editors can be fantastic because they give our clients the freedom to update their own website content... but with this power also comes the risk of visual (and technical) disaster! Read on to avoid the most common errors.

Error 1 - Copying and pasting from word (or other) documents

The most common and potentially most damaging mistake is to copy any document that has formatting (eg word documents, emails, PDF's etc) and pasting this content directly into your website editor. It is understanding how tempting it is to copy and paste a huge slab of text from one of these documents to save you re-typing it... but this embeds this associated code from those other programs into your web page – and its messy! Not only does this mix up your formatting, fonts and styles and make your page a visual shambles, but it also inflates your code slowing the page down and the search engines won't like it one bit! With web editing, it is most preferable to type directly into the editor or at least use the 'paste as plain text' icon in your editor which will strip any messy code from a copied block of text. Alternatively, paste into notepad first - then across to your website. You will then need to apply the search engine friendly formatting (eg heading styles) back into this raw text using the styles set up in your website. This formatting is set up for you in cascading style sheets (CSS) and are kept separately from the web page content, keeping your web pages as light and clean as possible - and search engine friendly too!

Error 2 - Choosing an ineffective heading for your home page

For search engine optimisation it is important to include the key words in your headings and throughout your text for each page, that is, a short descriptive title that summarises your goods or services. The 'Heading1 tag' which is the single main heading/title for the page is a field that you can edit in your platform. My advice here is not to waste this precious heading by naming it "Home" or "Welcome" as this is not an effective search term. On the flip-side - do not however, be tempted to over-use key words in your web page for the benefit of the search engines. Search engines penalise websites (blacklist them) if the same words are repeated throughout your website too much. The best bet: write for humans (after all they are your real customers) not the search engines, your content must read easily in plain english otherwise your visitors will quickly loose interest and leave your site.

Error 3 - Spelling mistakes

Ensure spelling and grammar are correct, if this isn't your strength, I recommend that you engage somebody else to write or proof read your content. If you do not know anybody, there are many web copywriters who specialise in this. If your website copy does not look professional, it reflects the same upon your business.

Error 4 - Inconsistent formatting

Ensure consistency with your formatting (eg if you use uppercase for some headings, ensure you follow this throughout all pages of your website). It may sound like a minor thing, but when its inconsistent, it stands out like a sore thumb. Also you may want to question yourself why you use uppercase for some words and not others. This is very common and many people probably are not aware of this.

Another tip with formatting: use minimal abbreviations and symbols for example, rather than using '&', type 'and', rather than 'Mon', type 'Monday'. It looks lazy and unprofessional. Do not use symbols at the end of bullet points such as ';'. For short bullet points, you will not need full stops at the end of each one. Keep it simple! - web copy is very different to print copy and is designed for scanning and reading quickly, extra formatting and clutter slows the eye down.

Error 5 - Incorrect vertical spacing

Break up your text into paragraphs and bullet points so it is easier to read on the screen, use the inbuilt heading styles to separate your content even further to allow your visitors to scan the content quickly rather than being overwhelmed with a huge block of text. BUT don't over-do it, don't make each paragraph only one line for example, or use too many headings otherwise you will have a page with a lot of spaced out text with nothing grouped together in logical blocks. If you are unsure, get inspiration from other (good quality) websites.

Delete any unused line breaks or vertical spaces between paragraphs and at the end of pages, do not add your own extra line spaces on any web page to try and space things out. It just looks like a big error (and makes your visitors scroll down for no reason) and adds too much code to your site.

Error 6 - Photos the wrong size - especially on eShops

This isn't too much of a problem lately because the modern CMS script will resize the photo for you automatically in a lot of cases. The biggest mistake I see is photos in an online shop, in that the photo uploaded is so tiny you can barely see what it is. When a customer tries to click and enlarge the photo, it looks like a tiny square. This won't help you sell the product...

Error 7 - Trying too hard, or experimenting with 'creativity'

A common problem and I advise strongly : Don't be tempted to try and be creative and 'add stuff', especially with your company website. It never looks good. Keep it simple, do not mix too many heading styles in one page. Do not try and make things more colourful. Do not centre too much (if any) text. Your customers don't want to battle with a mixture of fonts, colours and razzle dazzle. They won't be impressed by something tricky you tried to do. You may think it looks great and be proud of your creation, but I guarantee you, it will look awful. Your website template has been designed to take care of the design and formatting, the editor is there for you to add the content and let the search engine friendly style sheets do the rest for you. Less is more!! Be kind to your website visitors and keep it simple and professional. If you need to add new sections to your website, it will often look better if you engage your web designer for the task.

How can I share my Google Business Listing login?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:36:54 GMT

Sometimes you may need some professional help with your Google services and this may include the 'Google My Business' listing.

If you provide your Google login to a third party (eg an IT person or web developer like us), it may be problematic because Google’s security is pretty tight and it will not recognise the device that we are trying to login from.

Google will make us jump through hoops to verify our computer with you (you may or may not receive notifications from Google on your phone)… but there is a better way!

To share access to your Google My Business listing

Go to your “Google My Business” page by either visiting business.google.com and login with your google credentials, or if you are logged into Google already, select the My Business icon from the dropdown list as shown:

When you’ve arrived at your Google My Business Dashboard, click the “Users” link from the left menu:

From here, click the “Invite new users” icon as shown:

Then add your consultant's email address and allow them the access of “Manager”. This will generate an email invite so they can login to your account to do the things they need to do! When their job is complete, you can remove their user access at any time.

How long does it take to receive a Google post card in Regional Australia?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:36:52 GMT

You may need to verify your business address with Google.

If you add your business address location to your Google My Business listing you may need to verify with Google that this is actually your legitimate business location. To do this, Google will send you a 'post card' and your listing will remain on hold until you receive your post card and enter the 7 digit code that is sent to that business address.

But how long does it take?

I tested this from Darwin, NT Australia. Google's message suggests it normally takes 6 days, but in smaller Australian towns, things usually take longer ...

Google's support area recommends you wait at least 14 days before requesting a new post card but I decided to keep waiting as I didn't want to upset the system by generating a new code. I requested mine on 22 May and it didn't arrive until 13 June, so just over 3 weeks! So if you are in a smaller town and waiting for your post card, don't despair or complain too early... give it time, perhaps even 4 weeks to be safe - and then you could lodge a support query with them.

Things take longer in more remote towns ... 6 days? More like 3 weeks !

Why isn't my new website on Google yet?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:36:49 GMT

When we launch a client's new website I often get asked why the website is not listed on google yet.

Quick summary of how Google works

The life span of a Google search is less then 1/2 second, and involves quite a few steps before you see the listing of results. To understand how google will find your website, its helpful to understand how google works generally. This short video supplied by google explains it very well and can help you with adding search engine friendly content to your website. I've summarised below how this can apply to your website. Here's how it all works:

How does this help you?

I will summarise the main tips from the video above and explain this a little more:

When you do a google search, you are searching google's index of the web, not the web itself
You are already on the web with your brand new website but you now have to get into google's index (which is why your site isn't visible in google straight away).
Google needs to find your website with software called 'spiders'
‍So these spiders need to find your website first to include it in the index... the spiders crawl the web (billions of pages) periodically looking for new websites, this happens automatically and you don't need to submit your site to google. It doesn't happen instantly though, it may take a little while for google to find you...
The spiders use various methods find, index and rank your website
‍Amongst many factors, your website needs to have good quality contruction, have relevant content that contains your key words in a manner that reads well for humans (not simply listing keywords on a page) and preferably other (good quality) pages linking to your website. An important factor is the content/text you include in your web pages - if you don't include the key words, the spiders won't think your website is important for that particular key word. To find out if your website is in the index yet, go to the google searchbox and type: site:darwinwebdesign.com.au (replacing darwinwebdesign.com.au with your own URL)
Once you are in the index, Google uses over 200 queries to decide exactly where a website ranks
‍This article is just an overview so if you want to know the science behind the google page ranking system there are many books and websites that would explain this in more detail. It is a very complicated algorithm that google themselves do not even reveal to us...

How do I write for my website?

hello@simplepages.com.au (Eva Pettifor) — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:36:41 GMT

You only have a matter of seconds to grab your visitor's attention. Reading a screen is very different to reading a printed page, people scan the content and want their info FAST!

The following information is not intended as a full tutorial on web copywriting but some helpful tips to bear in mind:

1. Divide your text into readable portions

Divide your content into manageable chunks using headings (your website editor will have inbuilt heading styles to use). Bulleted lists are also good way to clearly outline important points. Doing this allows your visitors to quickly scan your website content.

2. Use plain English

Keep your paragraphs short and simple using every day language. Don't baffle your customers with industry terminology they won't understand.

3. Don't waffle on

Get to the point and don't include any unnecessary waffle. This will bore your visitors, they want the info now and aren't interested in sifting through a major story.

4. Make sure it's accurate

Proof read your spelling and grammar, then check it again after taking a break. It is also a good idea to get someone else to proof read it if possible. Don't rely on spell checkers. If you cannot write well, you should not be writing for your website at all, perhaps consider engaging a copywriter.

5. Keep your formatting simple

Do not add your own fonts and colours or add extra formatting (eg too much bold). Less is more. As a guide, check the news websites, their formatting is very basic. Use the inbuilt styles included in your editor. Your website will look more professional and streamlined (and is better for the search engines too!)