Recently, we wrote about how companies can navigate Google’s Penguin algorithm and its most recent update. We suggested that companies can improve their websites as one way to avoid being penalized by Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, emphasizing that you should eliminate spammy web practices, including paid links, blog networks, over-optimized anchors and low-quality backlinks. Having a well-structured website, which has relevant content and is easily navigable is the best way for companies to boost their rankings in search results.

Marketing expert Peter Roesler wrote an article for Inc.com, offering five simple ways companies can improve their websites. “For modern internet marketers, it is vital that a website be geared toward satisfying consumer expectations for engaging, high-quality content and functionality that makes ecommerce simple,” Roesler asserts.

High-Quality Content: It has always been a top priority to have high-quality content, but with Google’s Penguin algorithm—which is adept at distinguishing good content from bad—this task is even more important. Your energy should be devoted to creating high-quality content, which includes relevant SEO. Regularly producing this type of content has benefits for your business, as your website will rank higher in Google search results. Moreover, people share high-quality content more frequently, which also increases your reach and scope. Roesler also emphasizes quality over quantity: “Whether a business chooses to produce a blog, video series, infographics, etc. the quality of the finished product must always be the primary concern. A little bit of great content is better than a truckload of crummy content.”

Up-to-Date In-Store Information: In addition to producing high-quality content, it is also important for businesses to link the information on their website to that of their store, making sure that the two accurately reflect each other. A study from Loyalty360 supports the importance of these efforts. According to the survey, 47 percent of U.S. consumers are frustrated when in-store impressions differ from from online impressions, for example when a website displays out-of-stock items. Tools to ensure the accuracy of your information include online search inventories, which contain the items stores have in stock. Demonstrating the popularity of these platforms, small and local businesses have seen an uptick in usage for the tools.

User-Generated Content: This can be as simple as featuring customer reviews or testimonials on your website, which have been proven to hold trust among consumers.

Exclusive Video Content: By producing your own videos, you ensure that consumers will return to your website to view similar videos. Furthermore, this is an advantageous decision from an SEO standpoint, as Roesler explains: “there is an SEO benefit for creating content first. Search algorithms know where content originates from (for the most part). This way the content creator gets the top result, and not one of the thousands of sites that embeds the video afterward.”

Ecommerce Integration: One in four brand websites don’t have ecommerce integration, however this has a negative impact on sales. By implementing ecommerce integration, your website can improve its ROI and revenue potential.

If you are interested in learning more about effective marketing strategies, contact KeyMedia Solutions. We are an internet marketing agency that can assist you with your targeted internet marketing and search engine marketing efforts. We also offer mobile advertising solutions, among a range of other options.