A basic website in a brochure structure with no custom features can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, while a more complex site with a custom design and well-structured functionality can cost several thousand dollars, and then some. Some website designers may offer package deals that include different levels of service, including SEO options, user-friendly navigation, and functionality at different price points. It is important to plan out your wants and needs, and also your available budget, before beginning the process of hiring a web designer so that you can find a solution that fits your vision.

The technique of boosting a website’s rating on search engines like Google is called search engine optimization (SEO). This is accomplished by improving a website’s technical and content characteristics to make it more appealing to search engines. A website’s ranking and traffic can be improved by utilizing pertinent keywords, enhancing the website’s structure and content, and boosting the quantity and caliber of links from other websites. Great content gets rewarded by being shared, which generates more backlinks to your website. Backlinks help with a website’s authority, telling Google that your site is more informative than your competitors. So Google rewards websites with great content and structure by giving them more organic (free) traffic.

Websites need maintenance for many reasons. First and foremost, regular maintenance is required to keep the site running smoothly and ensure that it is functioning properly. Website maintenance can involve tasks such as testing the site to ensure all links are working, updating the content to keep it fresh and relevant and fixing any bugs or issues that may arise.

Websites also require plug-ins to function, and they need updating on a continuous basis. Think of it like an iPhone, in the sense that updates are essential with not falling behind with technology. If plug-ins aren’t updated regularly, your website will undoubtedly have issues.

In addition, websites need to be maintained to ensure they remain secure. Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly trying to find ways to exploit vulnerabilities on websites, and it is imperative to stay vigilant and take steps to prevent these attacks. This can include installing and updating security software, implementing strong passwords, and regularly backing up the site.

Optimizing a Google My Business (GMB) listing refers to the process of improving the visibility of a business on Google search and Maps. Which ultimately leads to more organic traffic to a particular website. Simple optimization includes adding accurate and up-to-date information about your business on GMB, such as your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and category. It also involves receiving and responding to customer reviews. Responding to reviews is an area where many businesses go wrong. Google likes to see that a business is interacting with its reviews both good and bad. Google also prefers to see photos of your business, and don’t be shy here, more photos will portray a prominent business.

Using relevant keywords in your business description to help improve your visibility in search results is a must as well. We can also use these keywords (like your business name and occupation) in our reviews by both the person submitting the review and the business responding to it.

By optimizing your GMB listing, you can make it easier for customers to find and learn about your business, which can help increase foot traffic and sales.