I want to improve our client's website structure, so he gets more traffic locally. What advice do you have ?

[marketingmedia.ca]

We want to "revamp" our client's website, by improving the overall looking (content, images, structure). Our client is a small retail business but wants to have more traffic. What advice can you give me ?

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Ben'J,

As Peter has remarked, the community can't make specific suggestions without actually seeing your client's website. It's perfectly fine if you can't share this information, for client confidentiality reasons, but the advice you'll get here will perforce be generic rather than specific.

If your client is running a local retail shop, then your efforts for them could include:

1. Ensuring that you are optimizing the tags and content of the website not just for product/service terms, but also for the city name in which the shop is located.

2. Ensuring that the complete NAP (name, address, phone) is in the website footer and on the contact page, encoded in Schema markup.

3. Using Schema markup for a testimonials page to begin publishing user generated content in the form of testimonials.

4. Creating an ongoing content development plan which showcases not just products/services, but also local geography.

5. Linking the website up to a Google+ Local page for the business.

6. Building citations for the business on appropriate third party local business directories and review platforms.

7. Other forms of marketing including social outreach, linkbuilding and video marketing.

The website plays a major part in local rankings, and thus, local traffic. Ensuring that the site reflects not just what the business is and does but WHERE it does it is extremely important. You want neighbors to immediately recognize that this is a local business, serving the local community, and the imagery, text and overall optimization of the website must be organized to reflect this.

Hope this helps!

[crackingmedia]

Hi Ben

Without seeing your client's current site it is difficult to say how it could be improved in look. Would you be able to post a link?

In general terms, I would suggest looking at what other sites for similar businesses are like both local to them and nationally. Pay particular attention to the top ranking sites for search phrases that would apply to your client's business. What is good about the sites? Could you do something similar for or even better?  What do these sites lack - is there something missing which you could do.

Successful sites get to where they are for a number of reasons, but was a usability perspective, content will answer the questions visitors customers are asking in clear language. Bigger images are more in vogue today so use strong visuals. In terms of structure make sure navigation is clear and the design is clean and engaging.

I hope that helps,
Peter