10 Simple Tips to Elevate your Squarespace Website and Improve SEO
Designing your own website to attract your target audience, convert leads, and rank well on search engines involves more than just good design and a pretty layout. It requires hours of planning, writing, and editing, especially if you plan to do it yourself. While most businesses understand the effort required to build a high-converting website and often opt to hire a designer, I get it—that’s not always feasible for new businesses with limited budgets. We all have to start somewhere and having a website is better than not having one. To offer my expertise, I’m sharing 10 easy-to-do tips to improve your website, covering everything from design and layout, to user experience, SEO, and copywriting.
Should you design your own website?
There are many elements that go into building a high-converting website. While hiring a designer is definitely worth it, it’s not an option for everyone. You just started a family. You’re taking a big risk by launching your dream side hustle. You don’t have the money to invest, so you decide to DIY. How hard can it be? Cue the endless Google searches, ChatGPT prompts, and 5 cups of coffee…
Common questions that come up when choosing to DIY your website.
To be honest, designing your own website will feel daunting and overwhelming. It will require a steep learning curve. Even if you are somewhat savvy with tech, you will need to spend hours learning how to use a new platform. You’ll often find yourself watching hours of YouTube videos on topics like:
How do I design a website?
Which website platform should I use?
What should I put on my landing page?
Do I need a services page?
How do I improve SEO?
How do I write copy for my website?
What is a CTA?
How many pages does my website need?
Do I constantly need to update my website to improve SEO?
Why does my website have no traffic?
Do I need to do monthly website maintenance?
The list goes on and on…
I know this because I did it! I spent hours learning about everything Squarespace, websites, and SEO before I launched my own business doing this for other businesses. So I know firsthand—it involved a LOT of painstaking hours. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. I’m just hear to tell you to use the tools that already exist. Lean into the work that’s been done. Don’t reinvent the wheel. While I always advise hiring a designer, I’m a huge advocate that we can learn anything if we truly want to.
Why your website is more than just a beautiful design.
The average user forms an opinion about a website in just 0.05 seconds. That’s an insanely short amount of time. This means you have very little time to make a strong impression on your audience. So don’t cut it short. Do your homework and put in the work. Take the time to write your website content, and refine, refine, refine. Always remember, less is more. Don’t you want the world to see the amazing value you can bring to the table? I bet you do. Or else you wouldn’t have a business to begin with, right?
The truth about SEO, and how to improve it over time.
Before I dive in, I want to emphasize that improving your SEO ranking doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not a one-and-done task. You have to consistently keep up with SEO on your website—this means blogging, creating content, updating your website content, and so forth. It is a whole job in itself and requires a lot of hours and research. If you’re serious about SEO, look into hiring an SEO expert. If it’s outside your budget, do what you can by following the tips in my list. Be patient. Do your research. Focus on connecting with your target audience and always offer high-quality value.
Okay, shall we dive into the list now? Get your notebook ready.
My top 10 easy-to-do tips to improve your website and SEO.
TL;DR — prefer to skip to the good stuff? Download my free DIY Website Checklist and tackle this step-by-step on your own time.
Download the DIY Website Checklist
1. Make sure you are clear about what you offer.
Do people understand exactly what you do and who you do it for when they land on your website? Make sure to add your mission statement (H1) above the fold so it’s the first thing people see when they land on your website. If you are targeting an audience in a specific state, be sure to include that, too
Is there a clear call-to-action (CTA) below your heading leading visitors to take action? (i.e inquire about your services, join a membership, book a call)
2. Add a clear description of your services to your home page.
Are your services mentioned on the homepage? Be sure to include microcopy below each service, along with a clear call to action (CTA) guiding them to learn more. This should include an overview of the service and mention how it can benefit your ideal audience.
Make sure to keep the layout scannable and consistent for each service.
3. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly.
Nowadays, most people see your website for the first time on their phones. So it’s super important to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile. Check the mobile view and rearrange elements where needed to make sure the content is clear and legible.
4. Keep navigation simple.
Is your main navigation menu clear? Avoid confusing visitors with too many pages or buttons! A standard website is 5-pages and typically includes: Home, About, Services, Resources or Blog, and Contact.
5. Use strong CTAs.
It’s important to repeat CTAs throughout your homepage, but avoid using too many or you’ll confuse your visitors. Make sure you use consistent verbiage for your buttons. Often, your CTAs should lead visitors to either get in touch, sign-up, book a consult call, or learn more about your services.
Key placements for your CTAs are usually:
on your landing page above the fold
below each service
above the footer, below your final copy prompting visitors to book with you.
Make sure you have a contact form on your contact page, and connect it to your business email.
Always double-check that your links go to the right place.
6. Use the right keywords.
Identify important search keywords aligned with your ideal audience and offering - what is your ideal audience searching for in Google?
Include those keywords throughout the website for your headings (H1, H2, H3) and paragraphs.
Be sure to not overuse the same keywords.
7. Guide your visitors through your website with internal linking.
Ensure your website includes internal links that guide your audience to various pages within your site.
Set up 3rd party links to open in a new tab where necessary. You want to keep visitors on your website for as long as possible!
8. Make sure it’s legible.
You might love that bright, color palette, but how is it on the eyes? There is nothing worse than your audience not being able to read your content due to color choice. Use this free tool to check that your text and background color combinations are accessible.
9. Show off those customer testimonials.
Have social proof that you are the best to work with? Highlight that on your home page! This is a great way to build trust with your audience.
Ask you’re past clients for permission to include their photo and name to give it that extra, personal boost.
10. Use high-quality images and optimize them.
SEO is complex, but there are small things you can do to optimize your site better for Google search. Such as:
Add alt text to images (describe the image using the right keywords)
Ensure images are below 250KB - use this free tool to reduce image size
Use high quality photography. If you don’t have brand photography, you can use free stock imagery. You can find free images from:
kaboompics (free)
Pexels. (free)
If you do these 10 tips, you will significantly improve your website. You’ll build trust with your audience. Your visitors will want to work with you. Your website will leave people thinking “I NEED THIS”, and you’ll feel so dang confident to share your business with the world.
Looking for a Website Checklist to simplify your process? I got you!
I’ve created the ultimate DIY Website Checklist for service businesses. This checklist includes the tips above written in a simple checklist format, with additional tips for design, copy, and improving SEO. You can download it or print it out. Checklists are gold mines when starting a business, so I highly encourage you to use it!
Plus, I’m giving it away for FREE.
That’s right, it’s yours for the taking! Because I believe in you, and I don’t believe in gatekeeping.
Feeling overwhelmed by the DIY website approach? Let me alleviate the stress and design the website you’ve been longing for.
Contact me to learn more about how we can work together to build your dream website.
