Yorkshire businesses are being warned against spending thousands of pounds on new websites only to find they are virtually invisible to potential customers online. Leeds-based digital marketing agency 21 Degrees Digital says it continues to encounter businesses that have invested heavily in the design and development of their websites without giving enough consideration to how they will perform on search engines.
The agency, which works with businesses across sectors including manufacturing, construction, hospitality and eCommerce, says SEO should be considered from the beginning of a website project rather than treated as an add-on once a new site has launched. Rory Mason, CEO of 21 Degrees Digital, said businesses can end up with an impressive-looking website that fails to generate the enquiries or sales expected of it.
He said: “A website can look fantastic, but if the people searching for your products or services can’t find it, there is obviously a fundamental problem. “We still see businesses invest significant amounts into a new website and only start thinking seriously about SEO afterwards. By that point, you can be trying to correct decisions that could have been addressed much earlier in the process.
“For most businesses, the website isn’t there simply to look good. It has a commercial job to do.”
Search engine optimisation involves improving a website’s content, structure and authority to increase its visibility when people search online for relevant products and services.
For businesses competing in major regional markets such as Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester, 21 Degrees Digital says the battle for prominent search positions has become increasingly competitive. The agency believes businesses should also look beyond headline rankings and focus on whether their online visibility is generating commercially valuable traffic, enquiries and sales.
Rory added: “Being number one for something nobody searches for isn’t particularly useful. Good SEO starts with understanding what your customers are actually looking for and where the commercial opportunities are.
“That’s particularly important for SMEs because marketing budgets have to work hard. Businesses need to understand not only whether people are reaching their website, but whether they’re reaching the right pages and ultimately becoming customers. “SEO isn’t a quick fix, but when it’s properly connected to the wider commercial strategy, a website can become one of the most valuable assets a business has.”
21 Degrees Digital is based in Leeds and provides SEO, paid search and wider digital marketing services to businesses across Yorkshire and the UK.
