10 Things To Remove From Your Website Immediately
Your website is the face of your business in the digital world. First impressions count, and a cluttered, confusing, or outdated website can quickly turn visitors away.
By streamlining your website, you not only improve user experience but also enhance your SEO and conversion rates. In this post, we’ll explore the 10 things you should remove from your website immediately to improve its effectiveness.
Vague Headlines — Be Specific and Clear
Vague headlines on your home page are a sure way to lose visitors. When someone lands on your site, they should immediately know what your business offers and how it can benefit them.
Ambiguous or clever headlines may seem creative, but they don’t resonate with users who want quick, precise information.
Instead of using broad, unclear headlines like “We Help You Achieve Your Goals,” go for something specific and solution-oriented like “Affordable Digital Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses.”
Studies show that users spend only around 15 seconds on a website before deciding whether to stay or leave . If your headline doesn’t grab them within that time frame, they’ll likely bounce off to a competitor.
Vague Navigation Labels — Focus on Specific Keywords
Your website’s navigation is like a map for users. If it’s unclear or too broad, users will struggle to find what they need. Terms like “Services” or “About” are vague and useless for SEO, who searches for ‘Services’? Instead, opt for specific labels that describe whats on the page:
Furthermore, using keyword-focused navigation labels is crucial for SEO. Google crawls navigation menus and considers them when indexing and ranking your site.
According to Moz, specific keywords in your navigation improve search engine rankings and help users quickly understand what each section of your site offers .
Meaningless Subheadings — Make Them Keyword-Focused
Just like vague headlines, subheadings that don’t serve a clear purpose weaken your content. Subheadings are essential for breaking up text and guiding users through your content.
If they are generic or unclear, such as “Our Mission” or “What We Do,” visitors may skip past them without engaging. Check out these two estate agents:
Instead, make your subheadings specific and keyword-rich to improve both user engagement and SEO. For example, a subheading like “Cost-Effective Sign Making Services for Small Businesses” is clear, targeted, and can help your page rank for relevant searches.
Home Page Sliders — They Slow Down Your Site
Home page sliders, or carousels, might seem visually appealing, but they come with several drawbacks. Firstly, they significantly slow down your site’s loading time, which negatively impacts both user experience and SEO.
According to Google, 53% of mobile users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load .
Additionally, research shows that users tend to scroll past sliders without interacting with them, rendering the content ineffective.
Sliders also cause issues with accessibility and mobile responsiveness, further hampering user experience. Instead of a slider, opt for a static hero image with a clear call-to-action (CTA) that quickly conveys your core message.
Stock Photos or Lifestyle Images — Use Real People and Scenarios
Stock photos, particularly those of generic people or corporate environments, fail to establish a genuine connection with users.
Studies show that people prefer authentic images featuring real employees, customers, or products because they evoke trust and relatability .
Replace any generic stock photos with actual images of your team, office, or customers interacting with your product. This not only humanises your brand but also fosters a more trustworthy and engaging user experience. Where possible, showcase user-generated content to further enhance authenticity.
Social Media Icons — Keep Users on Your Site
Many websites feature social media icons prominently on their home pages or footers. While it’s essential to link to your social media profiles, these icons can serve as distractions that encourage users to leave your site.
When a user clicks on a social media icon, they are taken off your website and onto platforms like Facebook or Instagram, where they’re likely to get sidetracked by other content, in particular, conteent from your competitors.
To avoid this, remove these icons from key areas like your header and home page, and place them on a contact or “About Us” page instead. You want to keep visitors on your site, interacting with your content and moving along the conversion funnel.
Dates in Blog Posts — Make Content Evergreen
While keeping your blog updated is crucial, including dates on every post can make older articles seem irrelevant or outdated, even if the information remains useful. Unless your content is time-sensitive, avoid displaying dates on blog posts.
This strategy ensures that your articles remain evergreen, meaning they retain their relevance and value over time.
This also encourages search engines to index your content for a more extended period, improving its chances of ranking well for relevant searches .
Big Paragraphs — Break Them Up for Better Readability
Long, bulky paragraphs can overwhelm readers and discourage them from engaging with your content. Studies suggest that users tend to skim web pages, and large chunks of text are often skipped entirely .
To combat this, limit your paragraphs to a maximum of three lines. This creates more white space on the page and makes your content more digestible.
Use bullet points, subheadings, and images to break up text further, ensuring your audience can easily scan the page and find the information they’re looking for.
Email Links — They Attract Spam Bots
While including email links on your site may seem convenient, they often attract spam bots that scrape websites for email addresses. This can lead to your inbox becoming flooded with unwanted messages, making it harder to manage legitimate enquiries.
Instead of a clickable email link, use a contact form. Not only does this reduce the risk of spam, but it also allows you to collect more structured information from potential leads, making it easier to follow up. Additionally, using a contact form can be beneficial for tracking conversions and data analytics.
Broken Links — A Dead End for Users and SEO
Broken links are a major source of frustration for users and a signal of poor website maintenance. If users encounter a broken link, they may leave your site altogether, resulting in higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates.
Furthermore, broken links negatively impact your SEO. Google’s algorithms see them as a sign of a poorly maintained site, which can hurt your search rankings .
Regularly check your website for broken links using tools like Google Search Console or third-party apps like Screaming Frog. Fixing or redirecting broken links ensures a smoother user experience and signals to search engines that your website is well-maintained.
In The End….
By removing these 10 elements from your website, you can create a more focused, user-friendly, and high-performing online presence. Start by clarifying your headlines and navigation, and make sure your content is specific, readable, and keyword-focused.
Ditch outdated features like sliders, stock photos, and vague subheadings in favour of modern, authentic elements that engage users. Finally, keep your site free from broken links and spam-attracting email links to improve both user experience and SEO.
By implementing these changes, you should notice improved site performance, higher engagement rates, and a boost in search engine rankings.
Your website should be a seamless journey for your visitors, guiding them effortlessly toward your ultimate goal—whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or simply learning more about your brand.
Sources:
- Study on user attention span: Time to Capture Attention in 15 Seconds, Nielsen Norman Group, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-long-do-users-stay-on-web-pages/
- SEO benefits of keyword-focused navigation: Importance of Keywords in Navigation for SEO, Moz, https://moz.com/learn/seo/navigation
- Homepage slider issues: Why Sliders Are Bad for Websites, Yoast SEO, https://yoast.com/opinion-on-sliders/
- Impact of loading times on user retention: Google Report on Mobile Load Time and User Abandonment, Think With Google, https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-154/insights-inspiration/research-data/53-users-abandon-mobile-sites-that-take-longer-than-3-seconds-load/
- Authenticity of images: Using Real Photos vs Stock Photos, VWO, https://vwo.com/blog/real-photos-vs-stock-photos-case-study/
- Skimming habits of online users: Skim Reading Behaviour Study, HubSpot, https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/the-benefits-of-skim-friendly-blog-posts
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If your website has been hit by a Google penalty, has dropped or disappeared from Google altogether, or you just need to understand the new world off SEO then get in touch, we can help.
