Anyone who has been associated with the e-commerce community for a significant amount of time is well aware of how far this industry has come. This is great news for business-related websites and yet, a problem could still arise on occasion. It can be confusing to appreciate how to upgrade a platform in order to accommodate the needs of a growing client base. Let us therefore examine some top tips and tricks as well as the importance of each.
Examine Your Current Hosting Service
One of the first issues to address involves your site host. In the event that you have begun to experience a significant increase in inbound traffic, it is wise to purchase a web hosting service for professionals. This package will provide a wide range of amenities such as nearly universal uptime, increased bandwidth and multiple pricing plans.
The Need for Speed
Some websites load faster than others. Still, remember that sites which have become overloaded or otherwise employ outdated coding can run into very real problems. Even minor bugs will lead to profound issues when referring to the overall end-user experience. If you note that one or more pages have become sluggish, a thorough examination is in order. After all, it is always better to enact subtle modifications as opposed to waiting until a site-wide overhaul is warranted.
Catering to Smartphone Users
Most individuals access the Internet with the use of a smartphone or a similar handheld device. This is why you need to make absolutely certain that your business has adopted a mobile-responsive design. Users should be able to scroll through each page, to zoom in on images and to click on internal hyperlinks without encountering any functionality issues. If your website is not able to accommodate mobile phones, there is no doubt that you will lose a significant amount of traffic.
SEO Concerns
The overlords at Google take search engine optimisation (SEO) seriously, and so should you. Make it a point to keep informed of any recent SEO algorithmic updates, as you could otherwise begin to suffer in regard to search engine rankings. This holds just as true when referring to HTML elements such as subheadings, outbound referral links and image tags. As SEO can be confusing on occasion, it may be a better idea to outsource the concerns mentioned above to a professional.
An Expired SSL Certificate
Cybersecurity is yet another issue to address. All websites should be outfitted with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. These digital firewalls are intended to prevent sensitive information (such as client details or email addresses) from being accessed by unauthorised third parties. Keep up to date with when your certificate it set to expire. Any lapse will reflect negatively upon your site and in some cases, it may even cause visitors to navigate to one of your competitors.
Any site will inevitably require a bit of attention from time to time. The best way to keep abreast of your responsibilities is to adopt a proactive approach and consult with an expert when in doubt.