5 SEO Warning Signs When Choosing a Web Designer
In today’s online marketplace, SEO is important when you want people to discover your website design. Having a website without effective search engine optimization is like spending your entire budget on a TV advertisement without allocating any air time to show it off. Low search visibility can limit enquiries if your business relies heavily on people finding you through Google.
SEO is a very specialised field that takes years to perfect and in an ever-changing world, takes dedication and perseverance. When building a house, the main contractor may coordinate several different specialists. There will be plumbers, electricians, surveyors etc., each one of these skills is a full-time job for each specialist – each part of the project needs suitable expertise. The same principle applies when planning a website and its search strategy.
If a web design company promises you a “search engine friendly website design” this is one thing, but if they sell you the fact that they can also get you to number 1 on Google, ask them to explain the claim: no provider can guarantee that position. At the web design level, it is important that the web designer understands the latest SEO best practices, and knows how to give you a good bedrock to work from. This will not only set you off on the right foot but allow your dedicated SEO specialist to get straight to work improving your search visibility without having to go back to the drawing board, costing you more money.
If you are a small company looking to revamp your website, or a new business owner looking to take the plunge into the world of web design, these checks can help you avoid common web design SEO mistakes.
1. Does your web designer understand what they are doing at the coding level?
A little research into what SEO involves will help you ask informed questions. You ask the web designer “I want my site to rank on search engines such as Google and Bing, what code will you be using to create my website?” Wave that warning flag if you get any of the below answers:
a. Flash
b. JavaScript, with no need to check how search engines render it
c. The coding isn’t important, it will just confuse you.
d. There is no need to test whether the finished pages can be indexed.
These answers should prompt more detailed questions about how the finished site will be crawled and indexed. Flash is obsolete, but JavaScript is widely used and is not automatically an SEO problem. Google can render JavaScript, although blocked resources and implementation errors can prevent important content from being processed. Ask your designer how they test rendering, crawlable links and accessible page content. There is no single approved HTML or CSS framework that guarantees successful rankings.
2. Your homepage lacks useful content and navigation.
Once your web design company has explained its approach to the first question, move on to the homepage. You decide to ask the next question: I can’t decide what to have on my homepage, what do you recommend? The following answers deserve further discussion:
a. A splash page asking the user to choose between a Flash site or HTML.
b. An intro page that plays once and then captures the viewer’s info via a cookie.
c. Huge pictures and hardly any text with video players and one link to a contact page.
d. More links and pictures are all that matter on a homepage.
These answers need a clearer explanation of the homepage strategy. An introduction screen should not prevent visitors or search engines from reaching useful content. Google can index text, images and video, and it can discover pages beyond your homepage through links and sitemaps. However, key information should not depend on a visitor clicking through an animation or completing an interaction. Use clear copy, relevant headings and descriptive links to help people understand your services and explore the rest of your website.
3. Put their redirect knowledge to the test.
So now you understand some of the issues involved in web design and SEO, and you have researched the topic further. You decide to ask a question that may surprise your web designer. “What’s the difference between a 301 redirect and a 302 redirect?”
a. They are both identical processes that direct the URL to another.
b. It’s very complicated and would just confuse you.
c. We always use meta refresh redirects, regardless of the situation.
d. Redirects don’t seem to be a problem with your site.
Both codes redirect visitors, but a 301 indicates a permanent move and a 302 indicates a temporary one. Google uses them differently when choosing which URL to show; it is incorrect to say that a 302 can never pass ranking signals. For a permanent URL change, a server-side 301 or 308 is normally appropriate. Ask how old pages will map to relevant new pages, and check the implementation against Google’s redirect guidance.
4. Your web designer is missing small, but crucial details.
You then ask: “Does it matter what the URL will be?”
a. This is not important in the slightest. Nobody looks at them, not even the search engines.
b. The URL’s are dynamically generated. This is what a modern website does.
c. The base count factor of the UI and PHP will take care of that.
Clear, descriptive URLs help visitors understand a page and make links easier to share. Dynamically generated URLs are not inherently unsuitable for search, but unnecessary parameters and confusing structures can complicate crawling and maintenance. Use readable words that reflect the page’s subject, with a relevant keyword where it fits naturally. Avoid changing an established URL solely to insert a keyword; any necessary move needs a suitable redirect. Ask your web designer to explain the proposed structure, how duplicate URLs are handled and how existing links will continue to work after a redesign.
5. Your SEO questions are dismissed.
Ask for clarification if you receive statements like these, particularly when responsibilities and expected results remain vague.
a. ALL SEO takes place after the website has been designed and is live on the internet.
b. SEO isn’t necessary, your site will rank fine without it.
c. It’s such a complicated business, we think it’s best you don’t worry your head about it.
d. We will get you to #1 on Google.
A promise of a number-one Google ranking is a warning sign. The web is fluid and ever-changing, so nobody knows where they will fare by the end of the day. If you have other methods of bringing traffic to your website, or lots of traffic isn’t critical to the success of your business, then maybe SEO isn’t a factor in your budget. But if ranking in Google is all you have, then having a dedicated SEO company should be your next port of call after choosing a web designer. If you can get them both to work together with clear responsibilities, you will have a more coordinated approach.
Many web design companies have in-house specialists who also provide SEO, while others work with an external consultant. Neither arrangement automatically makes a project better, and the cost depends on the scope, competition and ongoing work required. If you are working to a budget, ask which technical checks are included in the website build and which activities require a separate agreement. A designer can establish sound foundations, you can contribute useful content and business knowledge, and an SEO specialist can support research, measurement and continuing improvements. Agree responsibilities and realistic milestones before work begins so that important tasks are covered without paying for the same work twice.
Dreamkatcha is dedicated to providing attractive, responsive websites with SEO foundations. Not only are they stunning and easy to use, but they are built to support clear content, useful navigation and further optimisation, including work with your chosen SEO specialist. If you are a startup business looking for the perfect launch to your new venture, contact us today and we can discuss a website that supports your business goals.