What Makes a Good Website? The Only 2 Things That Matter

Two issues make a great web site: content material and performance. Seems to be are good to have however come final. 

Concentrate on these two areas to create a web site that individuals will need to go to, return to, and inform their pals about. If the location provides the kind of content material that individuals want and makes that content material simple to seek out and work together with, individuals will overlook even the ugliest designs. Working example: Hackernews.com — a web site with 5M month-to-month customers (source) that appears like this:

This text covers the necessities of constructing a profitable web site, specializing in creating beneficial content material and guaranteeing robust performance (guidelines included). You’ll additionally learn to keep away from frequent pitfalls and see which instruments may also help you get began.

Web site content material contains all the knowledge and media supplied to guests, similar to textual content, photos, movies, merchandise, and their descriptions.

Regardless of how good the design is, poor content material will drive guests away. Conversely, high-quality content material can compensate for design shortcomings.

Simply have a look at some top sites. They prioritize easy, clear layouts that spotlight their content material, like Canva and Searching for Alpha.

And I feel you’d be shocked by how easy Slack’s web site seems — that firm just lately offered for $27.7B (source).

However you gained’t make it with simply any content material — you want high quality content material. High quality content material can imply various things to completely different individuals however typically, you possibly can’t go flawed if you happen to comply with these easy guidelines:

• Related to your viewers. Content material needs to be tailor-made to what your viewers cares about, making it extra probably they’ll discover it helpful and interesting. One of many methods you’ll find related matters is with keyword research.
• Makes use of easy language and is well-organized. Make your content material simple to know, avoiding complicated jargon or technical phrases except completely mandatory.
• Distinctive: The content material ought to supply one thing new or current data in a contemporary method. Distinctive content material helps you stand out from the competitors and has an even bigger propensity to succeed in extra individuals by means of suggestions and SEO.
• Useful to your corporation. Final however not least, in case your web site is business-oriented, the content material in your web site ought to assist you run that enterprise. It ought to both present how your product/service may also help remedy related issues or assist earn extra utilizing one other monetization method.

I’d prefer to pause for a second on that final level and emphasize that content material isn’t just about giving individuals one thing to learn or watch. It’s additionally an effective way to introduce your services or products.

At Ahrefs, we use a product-led content strategy. We create content material that solves issues utilizing our product, concentrating on matters with search potential to draw constant, related site visitors.

For instance, our information on “search engine optimization pleasant web sites” ranks #1 within the US, bringing in customers excited about sensible suggestions and introducing them to our product.

Folks discover us on Google and click on to get the content material, to not admire how the weblog seems. If you wish to see how product-led content material works in motion, watch this video:

Web site performance refers to how easily a web site operates, guaranteeing customers can simply navigate, work together, and obtain their objectives with it. This contains fast web page loading, responsive varieties, and intuitive navigation.

If guests can’t simply discover what they’re searching for, or if the location is gradual and irritating to make use of, they gained’t stick round to take pleasure in that content material. That’s why the bounce fee on websites (it’s when a consumer shortly exits a web site after opening it) will increase so quickly with every second of page load delay.

Performance issues to serps as nicely. The technical aspect of your web site can influence its visibility for associated keywords. When rating pages, Google takes into consideration such technicalities as loading pace, cellular friendliness, and whether or not it makes use of the HTTPS protocol.

Instruments just like the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools make it simple to make sure your web site is technically sound. With automated common web site audits, the instrument identifies points in your web site and gives recommendation on fixing them. Additionally, you will get an general well being rating for simpler progress monitoring.

This easy guidelines breaks down the core parts of a great web site. You should use it your self or present it to the particular person answerable for your web site.

Content material technique	Have a plan for what sort of data and articles you’ll publish in your web site. Use our guide.
Analytics instruments	Use instruments to trace how guests use your web site and the way your web site performs in Google, so you possibly can perceive what works and what doesn’t.
search engine optimization error-free	Be certain there are not any technical errors that stop serps from discovering and indexing your web site. You are able to do it without cost with Ahrefs Webmaster Tools(AWT).
Good Core Net Vitals (CWV)	Guarantee your web site masses shortly and responds nicely to consumer interactions. Check proper inside AWT or Google Search Console.
Accessible	Design your web site so that everybody, together with individuals with disabilities, can simply use it. Use a instrument like  Accesibility Checker or WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation
Cell-friendly	Be certain your web site works nicely on smartphones and tablets, not simply on computer systems. You’ll be able to take a look at that proper inside AWT (usability and efficiency part within the All points report).
Makes use of HTTPS	Safe your web site to guard consumer data. You will get a certificate for free here.
Makes use of on-page search engine optimization greatest practices	Optimize every web page with related key phrases, correct headings, and meta descriptions to assist serps perceive and rank your content material. Use our guide.
Constant structure	Use the identical colours and fonts all through your web site to create a cohesive {and professional} look.
As much as date	Hold your content material present and related.
Examined on customers	Present the web site to some individuals and ask them to make use of it as they usually would. Encourage them to be trustworthy about what they discover complicated or troublesome.

Constructing a web site is an thrilling course of, but it surely’s too simple to fall into frequent traps. Let me share those I’ve seen through the years with a bit of recommendation on learn how to overcome them.

1. Design by committee. Too many conflicting concepts can result in a complicated and unfocused design. Attempt to restrict decision-makers and concentrate on a transparent imaginative and prescient. Prioritize selections based mostly on what’s good for the consumer.
2. Promoting too arduous. Overly aggressive gross sales ways can alienate potential clients. Construct belief by offering useful data fairly than pushing aggressive gross sales ways (AI instruments may also help with that).
3. Unclear language. Ambiguous or complicated wording can confuse customers and obscure your message. Instruments just like the Hemingway app, Grammarly, or ChatGPT can assist.
4. Poor search engine optimization practices. Happily, SEO good practices are simple to comply with, and over-optimization simple to keep away from.
5. Not maintaining the location updated. Failing to repeatedly replace content material and options could make your web site seem uncared for and out of contact. Even one thing so simple as setting a month-to-month reminder to evaluation your web site will do the trick.
6. Not testing and iterating. Begin by attempting various things in your web site to see what will get the very best outcomes. Take note of what your guests like and reply to essentially the most. As soon as you discover what works nicely, concentrate on doing extra of these issues. That is the way you go from a “good” web site to a “nice” web site.

Simply because it’s thrilling, constructing and managing a web site can get overwhelming fairly quick. However the appropriate instruments could make the method smoother and extra environment friendly. Listed here are some important instruments that will help you get began (all can be utilized for free).

• Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. A free instrument for analyzing your web site’s efficiency in Google. Use Ahrefs to test for search engine optimization points, observe key phrase rankings, and see who’s linking to your web site.
• Wix. An internet site builder that means that you can create and design a web site while not having to code. Select from customizable templates and drag-and-drop parts to construct your web site shortly and simply. For those who want a bit extra management over your design and also you’re not afraid of coding, you should utilize one of many internet design frameworks like Foundation or Semantic UI.
• Google Search Console. A free instrument from Google that helps you monitor and preserve your web site’s presence in Google Search outcomes.
• Google Analytics. A free instrument for monitoring and reporting web site site visitors. Arrange Google Analytics to see how guests work together together with your web site, which pages are hottest, the place your site visitors is coming from, and extra. Use this knowledge to make knowledgeable selections about learn how to enhance your web site (Matomo is an effective various).
• Hubspot. A platform providing instruments for advertising, gross sales, and customer support, together with a content material administration system (CMS). Use HubSpot to create and handle content material, seize leads, and observe buyer interactions.
• Microsoft Clarity. A free instrument for analyzing consumer habits in your web site. Arrange Microsoft Readability to see heatmaps, and session recordings to know how guests work together together with your web site.
• ChatGPT. An AI language mannequin that may help with each web site constructing and administration job. Use ChatGPT to brainstorm content material concepts, and generate textual content and code to your web site.

Ultimate ideas

Don’t get me flawed. It’s not that the visible aspect of the web site doesn’t matter in any respect. Because the artist Max Kolomatsky demonstrates in this Instagram video, design can enormously enhance the notion of a enterprise.

The visible design of a web site, whereas vital, isn’t one thing to lose sleep over. Your web site will obtain success extra shortly and maintain it longer if you happen to begin with a good-enough design — similar to a personalized template — and concentrate on delivering actual worth by means of your content material and performance.

Visible design can also be one thing simple to “overdo.” When attempting to make a web site look interesting, it’s frequent so as to add too many parts, colours, or results, which might overwhelm guests and gradual the location down. An internet site is a type of issues that must be usable, and there’s hardly higher recommendation than Dieter Rams’s “good design is as little design as potential.”

Obtained questions or feedback? Discover me on LinkedIn.