Although I’m sure your website is great and is going great-guns in the search engines, like anything there is always room for improvement.

So I thought I would share with you a handful of “best practice” tips when it comes to re-designing small business websites, which have been provided by Carrie Hill from Search Engine Watch.

1. Make sure that you have an eye-catching header/logo, such as the ineedhits header below.

This makes an impression on visitors, much like the façade, front door, or foyer of your store.

2. Always have the right balance between text and graphics. Graphics-heavy websites with little (or no) text can make it hard for search engines to determine the relevancy of your site to queries you should rank for.

Too much text with no images can be difficult to read. Some images and graphics, on the other hand, can help tell a story about your products and services.

3. Use a readable font and font size, and one that is hopefully easily scalable for low-vision users.

4. Buying or reserving information should be prominent and above the fold (book now, checkout, shopping cart, etc) like the great example below.

5. If you ask for personal information via a sign up or contact form, then you need a privacy policy.

If you would like to check out the additional 20 tips that Carrie has compiled, then just click here.

So next time you think your website needs a bit of a facelift, take these tips on boards to ensure your site comes out shining!