2016 wckc anatomy of a website
TRANSCRIPT
Anatomy of a Website
Jamie Smith
WordCamp Kansas City 2016
Your presenter:
Jamie Smith
• Owner of Jamie’s Notebook
• Lives in Northwest Arkansas
• Jamiesnotebook.com
• @JamiesNotebook
An effective website must:
• Be search engine friendly (links, plugins, keywords, mobile)
• Be intuitive to navigate (function)
• Be clear with its call to action (what do you want readers to do?)
• Be clear in how the company/organization can solve the visitor’s specific
problem(s) (Content…words and/or pictures)
Search engine friendly
• Plugins-for websites I like All In One SEO
• Links and keywords
• Pages (more pages are better for SEO but use menus)
• Blog
Don’t make them think
Guidelines
• Navigation should be intuitive
• Navigation should be uncluttered
• Consider what order/location most sites place functions
• Content should be in the logical place
Tips/Common issues• Use menus function with subpages (usually
no more than 5-7 parent pages)
• Search usually top right
• Home-About-Services-(Other)-Blog-Contact
• Social media icons usually near top right or directly under header image
• Widgets usually right column
Call to action
• All the information on your website is great … what do you want them to do
about it? Think beyond “hire us.”
• Every page and each blog should have a distinct call to action with a link
(usually the contact page)
• Call to action should also be in the side columns (could include call us,
connect to us, etc.)
Potential calls to action
• Sign up for a newsletter
• Take a quiz
• Download an audio or video file
• Download an ebook or white paper
• Fill out a poll or survey
• Make a comment
• Pose a question
• Sign up for a webinar or teleclass
• Make an appointment for a
complimentary consultation
• Refer a friend
Clear solution to problem
• You are a solution to their problem. Tell and show them how you help them
and therefore are the best choice
• Capture their attention with creative words, but don’t sacrifice clarity.
“Edginess” often leads to ambiguity
• Avoid tired buzzwords
• Be careful with industry lingo-help them understand what you are talking
about (pictures are great for this)
General best practices
• At least one (the more the better)
applicable photo on each page.
• Write in third person throughout the
site (even bios). An exception might be
the contact page. Even then, it’s best to
use plural first person.
• Reduce your photo file sizes to help
page load time
• Consider the F-reading pattern when
writing
• Website is a major part of your brand.
It should fit your company culture and
overall brand
• Only use content that you have
permission to use!
Essential Pages
What should they include (or not include?)
Home
• This isn’t just a welcome mat-it’s a hub
• You have mere seconds to capture—and keep their attention
• Home page should tell very clearly what you do and what hurt point you
solve, as well as invite them to engage (CTA)
• TOO much information causes clutter and will turn them off
Home
• Headline-tell what your site has to
offer
• Subheadline-zero in on a common
pain point
• Primary CTA (2-3 above the fold with
at least one below the fold. Meet
different needs of the buy cycle)
• Supporting images or video
• Describe what you do matters-keep
the copy lightweight
• Easy navigation
• Resources
• Some form of success indicator
About
• Should tell who your company is and why it exists
• Brief but thorough history
• Include dates not “X Years”
• If someone were to write a blog about your company from your about page, how accurate and complete would it be?
• Pictures help tell the story (don’t use stock photos here)
• You do business with people. Show your humanity!
Services/Products
• This is where you can go into more detail about what you offer and how you
help.
• You need pictures and words that tell your story
• Use different keywords throughout the text to fit various searches (keep in
mind some may not know exactly what they are looking for)
• This is one of the first places I recommend moving into subpages
• List all services at top then go into more detail at bottom
Blog
Blogging more frequently will improve your SEO
Key components of a blog post:
• 350 – 700 words
• Attention-getting, key-worded title
• Open paragraph has to go immediately to the point
• Relevant image(s)
• Main body – make it easy to skim using subheadings, bullet points, etc.
• Close with a discussion question/call to action
Contact
• Phone number
• Hours (as applicable)
• Mailing address (if different or if you don’t want visitors)
• Physical address with Google map and written directions
• Social media
• Contact form
• If specific requests should go to a specific person, consider listing that email.
Other possible parent pages
• Portfolio/Testimonials/Gallery (having pictures of your work, if applicable,
is also great for individual service pages)
• News/Media (links to articles featuring your company, press releases you’ve
written, etc.)
• Purchase/Hire (Do you sell products online? Do you offer services and want
to share rates?)
Other Suggested Pages
Their parent pages and best practices
Under “About” • Mission/Vision
• Meet the team
• Message from our Founder/CEO/Leader
These pages expound on
who you are as a company
and to some degree,
individuals
Under “Services/Products”
• Could also be categories of
products/services
• Link to each page from the main services
page and also link back to the main
service page from the individual pages
• Each page should detail what the
service/product is but more importantly,
how it solves the reader’s problem.
These pages are a great place
to go into more detail about
individual services or product
categories, complete with
pictures where applicable
Additional resources
• #WCFAY 2015 Why and How Businesses Should Blog on SlideShare
• #WCKC The Beginner's Guide to Writing in WordPress on SlideShare
• Check the blog for the company who created your theme
• Canva and Picmonkey are great for altering pictures