Get Online Texas Tip: Making Your Website More "Clickable"

Today's generation of Internet users are "click addicts". As soon as we "click" on our browser, we "click" on everything we see on the screen. Here's a true story: I (as well as everybody else) know just how a link looks like: It is an anchor text that is usually blue-colored and is underlined. One day I was working at the library when one old lady asked for my help on the computer. The Google search browser was on and she asked me "What will I do?" I said "Please click on the link that shows the website you are looking for. It's the first entry on the search results." And she looked at me like I'm weird. She started clicking randomly all over the screen. Despite my own puzzlement, I pointed to her where the link was. She said "Oh, is that a link?"

"Yes, Madam, that is called a link."

And so I am writing this article because I wish to point out that if you own a business website, it would greatly help your customers if almost everything you put on the screen is "clickable". Why do I say that? It's because "clicking" is a compulsion. The mouse and the trackballs are made to satisfy the urge to "click". If you put stuff in your website that people customers can't click, they get disappointed.

Seems like a big problem, huh? But do you know that adding links to texts and images that people click can actually boost your search engine ranking?

According to WEB CEO University, the strategy of matching the words on your "anchor text" (linked text) to the link itself will actually help your website show up better in the search engines. So if your business name in an anchored text is as generic as Texas Web Designer, then you are more likely to be found by customers who type "texas web designer" on any search engine.

The same rule works for images, except that alt text is used. If you do not put the matching alternative text to your images, then they will not be crawled by search engine spiders. This reduces your luck of getting found by customers searching online for a product or service that you offer.

Here are a few examples of businesses in Wichita Falls that we at Get Online Texas have reviewed lately. As soon as you visit their website, tell us what you noticed, because as "click addicts" ourselves, we noticed it too!

Longhorn Trailer

The homepage displays pictures of various types of vehicles. Our first impulse was to click on the photos to see if they would direct us to another webpage showcasing such vehicle and information about servicing it. Nothing happened. Then we scrolled down to the bottom of the homepage to "click" on the Featured Products. Nothing happened. We should have been smarter and checked the Sitemap on the very bottom of the page.

Samurai of Tokyo

You can click on the links on the menu but we thought all the other elements on the homepage are just as "clickable". We were wrong. Most website banners are clickable and lead back to the homepage. Samurai's is not. It did help that the Map and Reservations link lead us to the right direction.

Great Neck Guitars

Although we have not personally visited this business in Wichita Falls, we believe they hold a lot of treasures in their store. Unfortunately, we have a few complaints browsing their website. We could not scroll down on the homepage. The photos could not be clicked to see the enhanced or enlarged versions. Lastly, we thought it would be great if they update their Events page.

Suffice it to say that "clicking" is a skill in the Internet age and people are really good at it. Small business owners should take advantage of their website navigation to lead their customers to the right path -- the path of satisfied online purchase.