Getting Rid of Your Website Bad Habits

New year, new you, right? That goes for your website, too.

We get it: Nobody’s perfect. Bad habits are bound to appear in anyone’s life, especially when it comes to bad company websites.

You grab the extra cookie, you sleep through your AM workout alarm…you put good SEO strategies on the back burner.

No judgment here. But also: No need to let those bad habits become the new norm, right?

Today, let’s talk about five bad digital marketing habits you can totally break with little effort.

Forgetting to Use Alt Tags

Voila, it’s faux pas number one!

We all know a picture is worth a thousand words, but do you know what can really help your SEO? Adding even more words. Alt tags (descriptions or attributes) are brief snippets of HTML that you can apply to photos. Alt tags usually happen in the back end of your site, so you can add keyword-enriched text without having more content cluttering up your site. Using alt tags with photos can help your search engine rankings soar!

Need inspo to help cement this new step in your marketing routine? Check out this Reel we filmed…

Relying on Stock Images (When You Really Don’t Have To)

We all know that stock images can be a saving grace. When you need to punctuate a specific point on your site, you know you can find pretty much anything on a stock image website to download and use. It’s convenient, cost-effective, and – well, what more do you need? Sometimes, you need a little bit of a custom feel. That’s where your own images come in. Here’s the thing: While stock photos are often effective, your own high-quality images win out every time! Feature your own workspaces, products, and the gorgeous faces of your team. That’ll give your site a level of authenticity that stock photos simply can’t touch. If you’re ready to say “buh-bye” to your photography bad habits, you can find out all the dos and don’ts of stock photography in this digital marketing blog post.

Putting off Google My Business (Or the all-new Google Business Profile)

Google My Business logo with blue background One of the easiest ways to help your company gain visibility and avoid lousy company websites is to create a Google Business Profile. You, being an avid reader of our blog, already know this from our post all about Google My Business. This platform, newly rebranded as Google Business Profiles, is an incredible tool that allows you to publish important information about your business, respond to customer reviews, list your location on Google Maps, and more. (Are you still putting this off? sigh) Let’s break this down into tiny, actionable steps. Are you with us? Okay! Start by creating your profile. Make sure you log into your business’ Google account. (Don’t have one? Make one!) Then, go to Business Profile, click ‘Manage Now,’ and add your business name and category to get started. Fill in information about your business, like your hours and contact information. Finally, take a minute to verify your business. You can do this by phone, email, or even postcard. Once you’re verified, you’re in! Schedule time later to fill in your business profile’s information and add pictures, services, reviews, and more. For now, feel good that you started this all-important step and improved your digital marketing habits!

Not Updating Your Hero Sliders

Beware of the slider! Here are 5 reasons to avoid them on your website. Actually, we’re not sure we said that right: When we say “update,” we really mean “get rid of.” Sliders are becoming a thing of the past as hero elements, and rightfully so. We usually think that having a slider lets you showcase a lot of information above the fold. While it does, the problem lies (as usual) with the ever-fleeting attention span of the average reader. Audiences will likely miss most of the content sliding through the hero space. It’s a (much) better idea to reserve the hero space for one specific purpose: Introducing your reader to your website as simply, clearly, and concisely as possible. (Want to learn more about this? Sign up for a workshop to clarify your message here.) So, are sliders always a bad idea? Of course not! Sliders can be fantastic when you include them strategically – using them with slider-friendly content and pairing them with intuitive scroll indication buttons. For example, a slider can work well with a group of testimonials. While one testimonial provides authority, multiple testimonials offer your audience stronger confidence in your brand. By using a slider, you can get a single point across without taking up tons of page real estate. However, we still wouldn’t recommend using a hero slider! To avoid lousy company websites, simplify your above-the-fold messaging and use sliders in other areas of your site.

Dragging Your Feet on Security Measures

How to improve your website security: We’ve saved the best for last! We get it: It can be hard to prioritize security measures. Investing in your website’s security is one of those things that doesn’t seem to offer immediate, visible results. The thing is, especially moving forward, you just can’t risk the security of your digital footprint. Trust us: The worst-case scenario of a widespread data breach just isn’t worth it. Protecting your data and your people needs to be a priority. Fortunately, even though internet security can be incredibly confusing and complex, we have a few simple pointers to help you increase your website’s protection today. Set aside a few minutes to tackle the following to-dos, and then breathe a little easier for the rest of the day: Change your passwords to something long and complicated. (Use a password manager such as LastPass to make your life easier!) If your site uses WordPress, download a website security plugin (such as Sucuri and/or WordFence) and get it set up. Your peace of mind will be worth the time this takes! Update WordPress and any plugins you may have installed. Repeat after us: Outdated code is not secure. Set up a recurring system to keep everything on your site up to date. Any further questions? We’ve got your back. The security experts at USDP can help you with a security consultation to sort out any issues you may be experiencing! Put something on our calendar, and we’ll help you troubleshoot your security measures.

Ready to kick your bad company websites habits to the curb?

Excellent! We like your attitude. Breaking each of these five bad company website habits will make a huge difference. Take a few minutes today to ditch the mold and take charge of your digital marketing habits. Need a hand? We totally get that. For all things digital marketing, know that you can always rely on your friendly neighborhood website gurus at USDP. Reach out today for any assistance you may require – we can’t wait to hear from you!