What makes a good website? - See our checklist

Below is our checklist of the key components that collectively make up a good website. One that will engage visitors and generates leads and enquiries.

1. A good website incorporates a content map structure that aligns with search activity and one that delivers excellent usability so that visitors can easily find what they are looking for. This 1st step in your website design process sets a strong SEO foundation.
2. It should include rich content about your products and services and this content should have been uniquely created for your website and particularly to satisfy your web visitors. The content should ideally reflect the language, terminology and style of your customer audience and preferably avoid industry terms and acronyms.
3. The content should include good quality images that are relevant to the copy. Video should be used where it makes sense.
4. The website and its content needs to conform to Google's guidelines for SEO and the pages and content need to be accurately tuned to target your most important keywords.
5. Clear pathways should be visible throughout the content, directing visitors to the areas of the website that further engage or lead to conversion points. This includes utilising highly visible and clear call to actions inviting web visitors to connect with your business offering.
6. The above should be wrapped in a highly appealing design that reflects the branding position of your business.
7. The website design needs to be fully responsive so that it delivers optimally regardless of the device used by the visitor – mobile, tablet and desktop.
8. The website should be coded using modern methodologies and should score highly in the Google Developers Lighthouse page load and usability test. Fast loading sites are favoured by visitors and Google.
9. The website should include a good analytics set up like Google Analytics so that there is clear visibility to performance and areas for improvement etc.

The above inputs come from a range of skill sets including online marketing, content writing, seo, web design and web development (programming). Understandably it's difficult for one person to be competent in all these skills.

Having a clear understanding of your ongoing content plan for your website is also an important success factor. Read our article on content marketing to gain a current perspective on how to plan a program of content creation for your website.

Contact Adhesion for a consultation or see our small business website packages.