For Entrepreneurs & Non-Tech Founders (Points 1–30)
These are the essential, everyday things you should understand to make your website work hard for your business — even if you’re not technical.
1. Be Clear on What Your Website Is For
Is it meant to sell products, collect leads, showcase your work, or build trust? Before you build anything, know the main job your website needs to do — so everything can be built around that goal.
2. Know Who You’re Talking To
A website that tries to speak to everyone ends up converting no one. Get really clear on your ideal customer, their problems, and how your site can help them solve those problems.
3. Write Your Core Message in Human Language
What do you do? For who? Why should they care? Say it in 1–2 sentences, clearly, near the top of your homepage. Avoid jargon.
4. Make Navigation Stupid-Simple
People should know where to click within 3 seconds. Think “Home, About, Services, Contact” — and keep it clean and logical.
5. Start with the One Page You Know You Need
You don’t need to launch with 15 pages. Start with a strong homepage, a clear offer, and a contact method. Expand later.
6. Use Photos That Build Trust
Avoid cheesy stock images. Use real photos of your team, office, products, or clients where possible. Authenticity converts better than perfection.
7. Write Like You Speak
Keep copy friendly and human. Imagine explaining your business to a smart friend over coffee — not writing a business proposal.
8. Have One Clear Call to Action per Page
Whether it’s “Book a Call”, “Get a Quote”, or “Buy Now”, each page should lead visitors toward one logical next step.
9. Make Your Contact Info Easy to Find
Don’t make people dig. Put contact info in the header or footer of every page — and include a working form, phone number, or calendar link.
10. Highlight Real Testimonials
Social proof builds trust. Use quotes from real customers — ideally with names, photos, or logos if B2B.
11. Share What Makes You Different
Why you? Is it speed? Sustainability? Family-run? List 2–3 differentiators that matter to your audience and work them into your content.
12. Add Pricing or a Clear Pricing Guide
If you don’t want to publish prices, at least give people an idea of cost — or what factors affect it — so they don’t leave feeling unsure.
13. Have a Services or Products Page That’s Skimmable
Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points. Help people quickly understand what you do and how it helps them.
14. Write a Proper About Page
Tell the story behind your business. People like doing business with people. Make it honest and relatable.
15. Start a Blog (or Resources Page)
Regularly publish useful tips or insights to build trust and improve your SEO. A blog post doesn’t need to be long — just helpful.
16. Make It Mobile-Friendly
Most users are on their phone. Check that your site works well on mobile — no squinting or pinching required.
17. Add a Lead Magnet or Freebie
Offer something useful in exchange for an email address (like a checklist, mini guide, or discount) to start building your email list.
18. Include a Newsletter Signup
Make it easy for visitors to stay in touch. Keep your emails short, helpful, and consistent — even once a month is better than silence.
19. Use Clear, Bold Headings
Many people skim — so guide their eyes with headings that tell the story even if they don’t read everything.
20. Showcase Your Work
Use a portfolio, case studies, or project gallery to show what you’ve done and the results it created.
21. Tell Visitors What Happens Next
On your contact or booking pages, explain what happens after someone fills out the form — it reduces anxiety and increases conversions.
22. Include Social Media Links (but don’t overdo it)
Link to the platforms where you’re active. Don’t link to platforms you haven’t updated in months.
23. Add Trust Signals
Use logos of clients, certifications, press mentions, or memberships to show you’re legit.
24. Keep Content Fresh
Update your homepage, blog, and service info at least once a quarter — it signals that you’re active and keeps search engines happy.
25. Make It Easy to Book or Buy
Whether it’s Calendly, a booking tool, or an e-commerce checkout — the path to purchasing or connecting should be frictionless.
26. Test It with a Real Customer
Ask a friend or customer to use your site while you watch silently. Where do they get stuck? Fix those bits.
27. Have a Clear Tagline or Headline
The headline at the top of your homepage should make people say “Yes, this is for me” — not “What the heck do they do?”
28. Use Real Language in Buttons
Avoid “Submit” — say things like “Get My Free Quote”, “Schedule My Call”, or “See Pricing”.
29. Make the Footer Work for You
Your footer should include links to key pages, your contact info, social media, and legal policies.
30. Tell Google You Exist
Get your free Google Business Profile and link your website — it helps you appear in maps and local searches.
For Developers & Tech-Savvy Admins (Points 31–50)
These are the behind-the-scenes essentials to keep your website fast, secure, and findable. If you’re not doing these yourself, make sure your developer or agency is.
31. Use a Secure, Fast Hosting Provider
A slow or insecure host can kill performance and SEO. Choose a reputable host with fast load speeds and SSL certificates included.
32. Install an SSL Certificate (HTTPS)
This protects user data and shows visitors that your site is secure. It’s also required by Google to avoid “Not Secure” warnings.
33. Optimize Page Load Speeds
Compress images, minify CSS/JS, and use lazy loading where needed. Tools like GTMetrix or PageSpeed Insights can help.
34. Enable Caching and Use a CDN
Caching and content delivery networks (like Cloudflare) improve load speeds and reduce server strain.
35. Install Analytics (Google or Plausible)
Track visitor numbers, behavior, and conversions. Review reports monthly to spot trends and improve UX.
36. Connect Google Search Console
This lets you see how Google sees your site, fix indexing issues, and track search performance.
37. Create and Submit a Sitemap.xml
This helps search engines crawl your site properly and find all your pages.
38. Use Clean, SEO-Friendly URLs
Keep URLs short, descriptive, and consistent. Avoid things like www.yoursite.com/page?id=1234.
39. Install SEO Meta Titles and Descriptions
Each page should have unique metadata that includes your target keywords and compels clicks.
40. Use Heading Tags Properly (H1–H6)
Structure your content for both humans and search engines by using proper heading levels on every page.
41. Add Image Alt Text for Accessibility and SEO
Describe every image with relevant alt text — this improves accessibility and helps with image search rankings.
42. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
This adds extra information to your listings in search (like star ratings or FAQs), improving visibility.
43. Regularly Scan for Broken Links
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker to keep everything working and professional.
44. Set Up Redirects for Old Pages
Use 301 redirects when you change URLs or delete pages to preserve SEO rankings and avoid broken links.
45. Have a Custom 404 Page
This page helps lost users find their way — include links to key sections or a search bar.
46. Backup Your Website Regularly
Use automated daily backups (via your host or plugin) so you can restore your site if anything goes wrong.
47. Keep Plugins and CMS Updated
Outdated plugins are a major security risk. Update regularly or use a service that handles it for you.
48. Set Up Security Tools (e.g., Wordfence, Sucuri)
Monitor for threats, limit login attempts, and block malicious traffic to prevent hacks.
49. Add a Cookie Banner and Privacy Policy
Comply with GDPR and other data laws by being transparent about how you collect and use data.
50. Check for Accessibility Compliance (WCAG 2.1)
Use tools like Wave or Axe to ensure your site works for screen readers and users with disabilities.
