The list is in!

1. Web Design and Usability
   
2. Web Hosting
3. Google AdWords
4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
5. SSL Encryption
   

Those are the most common requests we’ve heard from customers since the first of the year. And it makes sense; all five impact either first impressions, security, or both.

Should your website have any of these New Year’s Resolutions? These questions may help you decide.

1. Web Design and Usability

   Does your website pass the Two-Second Rule? That is, when a customer lands on your home page, do they “back-arrow” to the last search page where your competitors await? Or, do they exhale, and stay a while? If your analytics tell you most traffic is bouncing, that’s just one indication of many that your site doesn’t compel prospects to stay and keep reading.

2. Web Hosting

   Do you know who’s hosting your website? We’re not being sarcastic here; many business customers aren’t sure, and we can understand why. You might have a web host vendor, a web domain vendor, an email vendor, … you get the idea. On top of that, many Wichita web hosting companies don’t actually manage the web hosting themselves, but farm it to an-out-of-town third party vendor.

3. Google AdWords

   Are your competitors always at the top of page 1 in search? When customers are searching and you’re not noticed, then you’re nonexistent. So, while we’re huge advocates of long-term, organic SEO, we’re also a firm believer in the immediacy of pay-per-click advertising when it’s strategically viable. That’s why we’re a Google-certified Partner.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

   Do customers say they “saw you on Google”? While pay-per-click ads have their place, the best search engine rankings in the long run are organic, natural rankings. And this is where website SEO comes in. But buyer beware: everyone thinks they’re an SEO expert, from TV stations to phone book reps. Find out who’s really responsible for the strategy and planning. Get to know the person doing the work, because they should be doing the work getting to know your business.

5. SSL Encryption
   Do you know if your website’s truly secure? If you haven’t installed SSL encryption (the padlock and HTTP”S”), the answer is no. SSL is the industry norm, and Google prefers sites with SSL in search rankings. Google labels certain websites as non-secure. Fortunately, securing an SSL certificate for website encryption is affordable – most start at around $70 a year - and can be provided by any reputable web hosting company.

So there you have it, the Top 5 Website Resolutions for 2017. Did you – and your website – ring in the New Year with any of these in hand?