Search and discovery are becoming more and more important in today’s online marketplace. As such, website optimization is critical so your local business can be located by online users. And one critical component of that optimization is site speed.
I’ve said over and over that search and discovery should be the focus of every local business when it comes to online marketing. If others can’t find your business online, then it could be detrimental for your overall success. One key aspect of getting found online is website optimization, from creating a strong content and keyword strategy, to incorporating images and videos, to including call-to-actions and mobile capability. But one area that some local businesses miss is site speed.
If your local business webpage doesn’t load quickly, you’ll lose your webpage traffic’s attention
How many times have you landed on a website and became frustrated because it wasn’t loading quickly? Did you stay on the site and wait for it to load, or did you pass on it and go to another website instead? Many online users will do the latter, which isn’t good news for any local business who’s trying to generate leads and readers. This is why it’s important for local business owners to understand that side speed is HUGE and an important aspect of online optimization. Online users don’t like to wait and will quickly move on if they have to wait for even a few seconds.
You should have a mobile friendly local business webpage that loads quickly, as well
We often turn to our Smartphone instead of our computers to locate businesses online these days. With that being said, consumers also expect you to have a mobile webpage that loads quickly, as well. It can be frustrating for those who are on the road and trying to find information about your business, but you don’t have a mobile site available, or it’s slow.
How can you check your site speed and mobile capability?
Follow these two easy steps:
1. Test your site speed. Some free site speed testing tools include:
2. Build a mobile site that’s quick to load. There are several companies and resources available to help you build a mobile friendly site, including:
To emphasize even further, search and discovery are critical aspects to focus on for any local business marketing strategy, and site speed needs to be taken into consideration along with it. If your site doesn’t load quickly, then you’re sure to lose at least some of the impatient consumer base out there… and who can afford to lose leads for their business? Check out the resources provided here to ensure you have a site that loads quickly, as well as one that’s mobile friendly all the way around. By doing so, you’ll stay one step ahead of the competition to keep your target audience happy and engaged by giving them what they want.