Whether you have a personal blog or a business page, the success of any website is usually measured by the number of visitors. If people are not visiting the site, then it means that your page lacks promotion or quality, making it difficult for it to stand out from other websites.

Of course, one could argue that there are more than enough websites on the internet already. The world wide web is oversaturated. On the other hand, that is not stopping new websites from popping up all the time.

If you are thinking about starting a website, or have one already, the basics are one of the things that you should focus on. Here are some tips that every aspiring website owner ought to emphasize.

Tip #1 – Create a Simple Home Page

First impressions matter. And your landing page, which is usually the home page, will play a prominent role. Do not go overboard with putting too much information on the home page. Make it simple to navigate.

If people who come for the first time end up unhappy with what they find, do not expect them to return. Just look at some examples on the internet. Put yourself in the shoes of a person who randomly stumbles upon a website. Be critical and create a checklist of what you like and dislike, and implement the good elements on your site.

Tip #2 – Avoid Visuals That Stand Out Too Much

Some website developers take things a bit too far with colors, fonts, and other visual aspects of a website. It is also best to avoid choosing a theme that does not go well with the whole idea of the website you are trying to create.

At the end of the day, and especially if this is a business website, your page is part of your overall brand identity. You do not want to end up with a weird-looking site. Spend all the time you need to make sure that the visuals are chosen carefully and are in the right place.

Tip #3 – Make the Site Accessible to Everyone

More and more websites are looking to make themselves accessible to people who have a disability. In the United States, the department of justice issued two mandatory acts, the ADA (americans with disabilities) and section 508 that state websites must be accessible

Accessibility compliance is the standard which upholds websites to comply with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines for accessibility. There are multiple ongoing cases in which someone has sued a website because it is not accessible to a person with a disability.

Of course, developing a website that is friendly to those who have a disability should not just be about trying to avoid potential lawsuits. There is a moral obligation as well.

Tip #4 – Optimize for Mobile Devices

Smartphones and tablets make up about 50 percent of all online traffic. Moreover, it looks like this trend will only continue to grow in the future. Mobile devices are very convenient to use. Also, many brands are developing apps, so there is no need to rely on a browser.

Optimizing your site for smartphones and tablets also has an advantage for SEO purposes. It should not be too hard to take care of the problem because there are plenty of themes that do the work for you.

Tip #5 – Work With a Reliable Hosting Provider

A reliable hosting provider is another priority. 

If your website has a poor uptime, then people will not be able to access it. Moreover, visitors do not have the time to wait for each page to load.

On top of that, a good web host will have you fix and remediate problems quickly, such as a hacker getting access to your server or a complete backup in case of a breach.

Tip #6 – Emphasize Content Quality

The content itself will be different depending on what you are trying to promote. However, whether it is articles, videos, tutorials, infographics, or anything else, quality should be the most important aspect. Do not neglect the overall content quality for the sake of publishing more often.

Tip #7 – Do Not Spam Ads

Ads are annoying. Those pop-ups you have to deal with after clicking on a new page can get pretty old. On top of that, such ads tend to slow down the overall performance of the website. 

If you are looking for a monetization method, consider something else, like a Patreon page or affiliate links. Also, keep in mind that plenty of people are using ad blockers, meaning that ads become obsolete in most cases. 

Tip #8 – Make Social Media and Contact Pages Visible

This is another element that some people overlook. Social media icons, as well as a contact page, should be clearly visible on the home page. Both should be present because you never know when someone might want to get in touch with you. It could be a great business opportunity, and missing it would not be a good idea.

Tip #9 – Use Visual Aids

The importance of content quality has already been mentioned. But it is also worth pointing out that adding some visual aids will make things more interesting for the website’s visitors. If you are writing articles, be sure to include high-quality images, infographics, and maybe some videos. If nothing else, do it for the sake of variety.