We talk a lot on this blog about things you should think about while creating your small business website. A lot of it might be redundant, but we’re under the impression that, sometimes, stuff can go in one ear and out the other. Oh, we’re not blaming you, of course. Picking up the kids, finding food, making weekend plans, cyber-stalking Taylor Swift: you’ve got lots going on. So every once in awhile, we’ll remind you of things you should be doing for the health of your website – stuff you probably already know, but may have forgotten about in the hustle and bustle of life.

With that said, here are 4 ways you can improve your website right now.

website-performance-online

1. Add great content

You’ve probably heard before that “content is king.” In fact, this phrase has been repeated ad nauseum among SEO experts for years; but as it turns out, great content really is, and always has been, the key to a great website. Serve your visitors targeted, complete, informative, interesting, relevant content – you know, stuff you’d want to read on someone else’s website. Don’t get bogged down in your own needs (“I need to SELL SELL SELL”), think about what it is your customer needs, and give it to him or her. As a matter of fact, go back right now, look over your old content, and if it doesn’t wow you, revise, rewrite, and update it to make each page a reflection of the best content you can put together. Go! I’ll be here when you get back.

2. Say it with style

It’s 2013 – ugly websites are not okay anymore. Your site has to be both functional and attractive to potential customers. When I say attractive, I simply mean, it has to be clean, and easy to both read and navigate. A website with words and images all over it is overwhelming. Your eyes don’t know what to take in first, and instead of trying to make sense of it all, you click away looking for something that requires far less work. Right? You’ve been on these sites before.You know better.

3. Build relationships

Since the very first days of Google, webmasters and SEO experts have understood that backlinking plays a pivotal role in Google’s algorithm. But what the heck is backlinking? Let me allow Google to explain, using a cute little anecdote featuring a faceless couple named Alice and Bob:

Backlinks enable you to keep track of other pages on the web that link to your posts. For instance, suppose Alice writes a blog entry that Bob finds interesting. Bob then goes to his own blog and writes a post of his own about it, linking back to Alice's original post. Now Alice's post will automatically show that Bob has linked to it, and it will provide a short snippet of his text and a link to his post. What it all works out to is a way of expanding the comment feature such that related discussions on other sites can be included along with the regular comments on a post.

Like most other SEO techniques, backlinking has been exploited by those looking for a shortcut. In recent years, Google has become so good at detecting artificial links, and has become so strict in its approach to artificial links, what once were shortcuts are now no shortcuts at all. Now, the very best way to give authority to your website is to network and build relationships with others in your field. This kind of relationship building will have myriad benefits, only one of which is the natural backlinks you’re likely to accrue. So how do you do that? Thoughtfully comment on other blogs in your field, always including a link in your name to your own site. Don’t spam sites hoping people will click your links – comment naturally, and when you have something to say. You know, like you’d network in real life, only online.

4. Focus on your user

Look, I said it above, but it bears repeating: your website should not be a self-serving entity. Yes, you likely have a business to run or a product to promote, but ultimately, the goal of your website should be to provide value to your visitors. If you continually reposition your site to provide access, information, insight, and convenience to visitors, you’ll inevitably see a rise in traffic – not just today, but for many years into the future.