Being at the top of Google search results means more clicks into your website , more visitors , more impressions , and more inquiries on horses which could lead to a sale . The key to being at the top of Google search results is having a compelling , interesting website that encourages traffic and clickthroughs .
Did you know that everything you do online is tracked and recorded through “ web analytics ”? For instance , I can tell that 14 people visited my site on Tuesday and the first link they clicked was “ About Us ”. That ’ s some pretty powerful information ! If people are clicking on your About Us page immediately when they enter your website , you goal should be to have some great stuff on that page to keep your potential clients ‘ clicking ’. So how can you harness this knowledge and put it to work ? SML
Here are 15 quick fixes to
make your website work for you .
MAKE YOUR WEBSITE EASY TO
1 ) NAVIGATE- Your website should be uncomplicated and easy to navigate . A website isn ’ t interesting , fresh and eye-pleasing , people will leave your website . Google will notice that people “ bounce ” off your site and push you down in Google rankings . Your main link bar should have under 10 links to keep it clean and simple . I recommend creating drop-down links under a menu option-- For example , when you hover over “ STALLIONS ” in my link bar , Beau and Marvel will show up and have pages dedicated to them to visit . Versus having “ Beau ” & “ Marvel ” in 2 separate links in my main link bar , cluttering it up .
ATTRACTIVE DESIGN- Starting with
2 ) a template helps to create a good looking , uniform site . If you aren ’ t interested in designing a website on your own , there are many professionals who you can hire for this service .
6 Miniature Horse World SUMMER 2016
WWW
By Kaycee Lunde
Getting the Most out of your Website
HAVING PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS-
3 ) I can attribute 100 % of my horse sales to having professional photos of all my horses . EVERY client who buys from me always comments about how nice my website was to visit and the beautiful photos . Professional photos of your horse will be are an investment ( prices average around $ 200 per shoot ) but they are VERY valuable for the resale of your horses and the quality boost in your website .
UPDATING AT LEAST QUARTERLY-
4 ) A website should be updated at least every season ( 3 months ). Think of it like this : Foaling season ( upload photos of your foals ), Show season ( upload photos of your show string and post their show results to social media ), Show results season ( brag about your results !) and Prep season ( making sure your website is neat , adding for sale horses , updating stallions and broodmares info , sharing events ). Google will LOVE that your site is current and updated and push you up in search results .
SOCIAL MEDIA TIE-INS- It is absolutely paramount to cross link your
5 ) website to your social media accounts ( instagram , twitter , facebook page ). Post links on your facebook leading people to your site and make sure there is a facebook button on your website . Don ’ t post the same stuff on your website , instagram and facebook . You want your different social media outlets to be compelling in their own way . For instance , my website is the main reference and source of information . ( It is KING ). My Amaretto Miniature Horses Facebook page is used to share up to date show results and share website updates with the masses . My instagram account “ KayceeAnnFarm ” is for a V . I . P ., behind the scenes look at what happens on the farm .
PEDIGREES- Pedigrees are an excellent way to give your viewers some-
6 )
thing interesting to read and reference . They are time consuming to add , per horse , but the pay-off is huge . If a client is looking at a horse , and they want to see who the sire is , they don ’ t need to navigate OFF your page to learn by opening a new browser window ( in my opinion it is annoying to scour the internet researching pedigrees ). Plus , when someone searches “ Grosshill Dandy ’ s Special Edition ” your website will show up in Google , just because you mentioned that horses name in a pedigree on your site , which may capture new viewers that you wouldn ’ t regularly receive . TIP : There are online pedigree generators that you can use to code a pedigree into your website . Just search for them !
ADDING CURRENT EVENTS- Adding events and show dates and venues
7 ) to your website with the location and date of the event are other tips to Google you are up on things . You wouldn ’ t think that sharing events with your website viewers would make a big difference , but it totally does ! It adds time sensitive events to your website that Google will say--- “ This website is current and up to date ”. Also , think about potential buyers that are too shy to contact you through email but just so happen to be attending those events as well ? Chances are , they will make a point of stopping by your booth or stalls at the event , look around , and visit with you in person . Or at least they might watch the horse show and take note of your show results .
LINKING IT UP- Links are one of the
8 ) BIGGEST proponents of ranking high on Google . Now , isn ’ t leading people OFF your website a bad thing ? ( ie . a horse transporters website )? WRONG !! Google picks this up and says--- YES this website is being productive and useful to its viewers , and Google gives your website a big thumbs-up . Link to the horse clubs you ’ re part of , link to your favorite vendors ( ie . feed stores ), link your horses pedigrees to other farm websites , etc .
OFFERING YOUR VIEWERS LOADS
9 ) OF INFORMATION- People come to your website for one thing ... INFORMA- TION . When you do not provide that information , people will leave your site to gather it on their own . This is why each of my horses listed have a pedigree , professional photos ,