8 Factors Most People Overlook When Building a Website Themselves
If you’re building a website yourself, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating something from scratch. But there are many factors that are often overlooked, which can impact the success of your site. In this article, we’ll take a look at eight of the most common factors that people overlook when building a website.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
One of the most important factors that people overlook when building a website is search engine optimization (SEO). This refers to the process of making your website rank well in search engine results, such as Google or Bing. To do this, you need to consider factors like keywords, meta descriptions, and header tags. These elements help search engines understand what your site is about and how to rank it.
Keywords
Keywords are the terms or phrases that people type into search engines when they’re looking for information. For example, if you own a bakery, you might use keywords like “best bakery in town,” “homemade cakes,” or “fresh bread.” By including these keywords in your website’s content and meta tags, you’re telling search engines what your site is about, which can help it rank higher in relevant search results.
Titles and Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are short snippets of text that appear under your website’s title in search engine results. They give potential visitors a brief overview of what your site is about, so it’s important to write compelling and descriptive meta descriptions that include your target keywords. Keep in mind that meta descriptions should be concise, under 155 characters, and accurately reflect the content on your site.
Utilizing Header Tags
Header tags, such as H1, H2, and H3, help to organize and structure your website’s content. They give search engines a clear hierarchy of information, making it easier for them to understand the topic and main points of each page. You should use header tags appropriately, making sure that your H1 tag accurately reflects the main topic of each page, and that H2 and H3 tags are used to break down the content into smaller, more manageable sections.
2. User Experience (UX)
Another important factor to consider when building a website is user experience (UX). This refers to the design, navigation, and overall experience of your website. You want to make sure that users can easily find what they’re looking for and that your site is easy to use. If the design and navigation of your site are confusing, users are more likely to leave and never come back.
Intuitive Navigation
Navigation is one of the most important aspects of UX. Your website’s navigation should be clear and intuitive, making it easy for users to find what they’re looking for.
A well-designed navigation menu can help visitors understand the structure of your site and quickly access the information they need.
Readability
The readability of your website’s content is also an important aspect of UX. This includes using a clear and easy-to-read font, a color scheme that’s easy on the eyes, and sufficient white space to help break up text and improve readability.
You should also aim to keep your paragraphs short and use headings and subheadings to break up your content.
3. Mobile Responsiveness
With the increasing number of people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for smaller screens.
This means that your site should be easily viewed on a smartphone or tablet, without the need to zoom in or scroll horizontally. By making your site mobile-friendly, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and provide a better experience for your users.
Additionally, mobile responsiveness is also a crucial factor in search engine optimization. Search engines like Google now use mobile-first indexing, which means that they will prioritize the mobile version of your site when ranking it in search results. This means that if your site is not optimized for mobile devices, it may not rank well in search results, resulting in a lower visibility for your site and potentially fewer visitors.
Not only does a responsive web design benefit your search engine rankings, it also enhances the user experience for mobile users. With the rise of mobile devices, people expect to be able to access websites quickly and easily on their smartphones or tablets. A site that is not optimized for mobile devices can lead to frustration and a poor user experience, causing users to leave and potentially not return.
4. Performance and Speed
PageSpeed is very important when building a website. A slow-loading website can have significant impacts on user experience and search engine rankings. A high bounce rate, meaning a high number of users leaving your site quickly after arriving, can indicate to search engines that your site is not providing valuable content or a positive user experience.
Image Optimization
Large image files can significantly slow down your website.
To optimize your images, consider compressing them and reducing their file size without sacrificing quality.
Additionally, you can use a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute your images and reduce their load time.
Code Optimization
Optimizing your site’s code can also improve its performance and speed. This may include minifying your code, compressing files, and using efficient coding practices.
Lazy Loading
Lazy loading is a technique where images and other page elements are only loaded when they become visible to the user. This can significantly improve page load times, especially on pages with many images.
5. Security
When building a website, security should be a top priority, especially if you’re collecting sensitive information from your users, such as personal details or payment information. To ensure that your site is secure, it’s important to implement the following measures:
SSL Certificates
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that is used to secure a website and its interactions with visitors. An SSL certificate protects the transmission of sensitive data, such as credit card information and login credentials, from being intercepted by third parties. When a website has an SSL certificate, it displays “https” in the URL, which helps to build trust with your users.
Secure Forms
If you have forms on your website that collect sensitive information from your users, it’s important to make sure that these forms are secure. This can be done by using encryption and secure socket layer (SSL) technology. Additionally, you should also validate the input of your forms to prevent malicious attacks, such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS).
Backups and disaster recovery planning
Creating regular backups of your website’s data and having a disaster recovery plan in place can help you quickly recover from any security breaches or unexpected incidents.
6. Accessibility
Creating a website that is accessible to people with disabilities is not only a best practice, but also a legal requirement in many countries. Ensuring accessibility for all users helps you reach a wider audience, build a positive reputation for your brand, and make a positive impact on the world. Here are some key elements to consider when optimizing your site for accessibility:
Color Contrast
Color contrast is crucial for users with visual impairments. It ensures that text is easily readable against the background color, making it easier for users to navigate your site and find the information they need. A good rule of thumb is to use a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Font Size
font size is another important factor to consider for accessibility. Making sure your text is easy to read can help prevent eye strain and make it easier for users to engage with your site. You should use a font size of at least 16px for body text and provide options for users to adjust the font size if needed.
Alternative Text for Images
Alternative text (alt text) is a short description of an image that is displayed in place of the image if it cannot be loaded. This is important for users who use screen readers, as well as for users with slow internet connections. By adding descriptive alt text to your images, you’ll make your site more accessible and ensure that all users can understand the content on your site.
Other Accessibility Considerations
Other elements to consider when optimizing your site for accessibility include:
- Providing alternative ways to navigate your site (such as keyboard navigation)
- Adding captions and transcripts to videos
- Designing forms that are easy to use for users with motor impairments
- Avoiding the use of flashing or flickering content, which can be triggering for users with epilepsy.
7. Sustainability
The carbon footprint of the internet is a growing concern, and you can help by making your website more sustainable. A sustainable website not only helps the environment but also has benefits such as reduced loading time, improved performance, and increased user engagement. Here are some ways to make your website more sustainable:
Green Hosting
Choosing a green web hosting provider can have a significant impact on the sustainability of your website. Green hosting providers use renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, to power their servers, which helps reduce the carbon footprint of the internet. Additionally, some green hosting providers use energy-efficient servers and cooling systems, which further reduces their energy consumption.
Build Vector Graphics with SVG and CSS
Using vector graphics, such as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), can help reduce the size of images on your site, which in turn reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to users. This results in faster loading times, which can improve performance and user engagement. Additionally, vector graphics can be resized without losing quality, making them ideal for responsive design.
8. Brand Consistency
Your website should be a reflection of your brand, and it’s important to make sure that your branding is consistent across all elements of your site.
This includes your logo, color scheme, typography, and overall aesthetic. By maintaining brand consistency, you’ll create a more professional and recognizable online presence.
This can help you build trust with your audience and set your site apart from others.
Building a Website
In conclusion, building a website involves a number of important factors that should not be overlooked.
These include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), User Experience (UX), Mobile Responsiveness, Performance and Speed, and Security, among others. SEO involves optimizing your website for search engines by using keywords, meta descriptions, and header tags. UX involves designing your site for user experience, including clear and intuitive navigation, readability, and mobile responsiveness.
The performance and speed of your site is crucial for a positive user experience and search engine rankings. Finally, security is essential for protecting your website and its users from cyber threats.
By considering these factors and taking steps to optimize your website, you can ensure its success and attract more visitors.
