If you were partying in the nineties then you might remember the band Pulp who had some big hits throughout this decade. Sheffield-based Jarvis Cocker, the lead singer, is a quirky fellow who once famously stage-crashed Michael Jackson’s performance at a music awards ceremony! What if Jarvis Cocker had spent less time singing and more time getting into the quickly emerging world wide web during the nineties. This is what Pulp would have advised, if they were web designers in Sheffield:

Common People, 1995

Remember that you want to reach as many people as possible with your scintillating content so make it clear, concise and to the point. What you write on your website or in your blog doesn’t have to be highbrow or overly technical. The best way to write is simply, telling a story about your company that connects quickly and effectively with your target audience. If it’s relevant and current, then you’re on the right track.

Mis-Shapes, 1995

Keep your font style and size uniform across your site. Placement of information on your website is crucial and affects the order in which your visitor will view things. You need to have a good natural flow, consistent alignment and a theme that remains the same throughout your pages so as not to confuse your visitor. Different fonts, text all over the place and an awkward layout will frustrate people and they will leave.

Bad Cover Version, 2001

Being original with your content is paramount as Google punishes websites that display duplicate content or evidence of plagiarism. Making sure your content is unique will avoid Google penalties and while it’s almost impossible to be completely unique, as long as the content has not been said in exactly the same way elsewhere and represents a fresh approach to a subject, then you won’t have a problem. A successful marketing campaign is boosted by good quality content so never be tempted to lift ideas or writing from any other source.

Don’t You Want Me Anymore, 1992

Suffering from a high bounce rate but not really sure why? If your website is showing signs of any of the following then it could explain why people are landing but not staying – slow load times, too much advertising, unrelated content, navigation that’s not obvious, inviting the wrong visitors or spelling and grammar errors. If your pages are ugly, have difficult to read colours and are full of too many images then you need to have an overhaul. For Web design in Sheffield, visit http://www.dearnevalleywebdesign.co.uk/

Something Changed, 1995

That horrible, gut-sinking feeling when you realise that something’s not right. Your website may be in need of deep cleaning if find you’ve been hacked, compromised or infected with malware. Signs that all may not be rosy include: your site disappearing, the red screen of death, constant crashing or slow-loading, your site shows a different website, Viagra offers all over your site or your emails are sent to spam. A website disappearing could also be the result of a Google penalty or just your web developer working on something, so always check with them first!