5 Things to do Before you Publish a New Web Page
Oct 30, 2015
When creating a new web page in your website’s content management system, we know how easy it is to click “publish”, and then notice a mistake a few days later. That’s why we have a system here at The Creation Lab to make sure any little mistakes or oversights are caught before a website goes live.
We thought we’d share our top 5 things to do before publishing a new page – we hope it helps you when creating your next news update or product page!
Proofread
A spelling mistake is a real turn-off. As for grammar, a comma in the wrong place could send your readers into a state of confusion. Take this example of how a little comma can be the difference between commenting on someone’s home, or their waistline…
I love the new flat, Jim!
I love the new, flat Jim!
Well, that’s awkward. Avoid confusion by carrying out a simple check for correct spelling and grammar before you hit publish on your new web page.
Is it Mobile Friendly?
Don’t forget that while you are creating your web page on your desktop computer, a large percentage of your audience will see it on a smaller screen. How do you know what it will look like if you don’t check?
Take a look at the web page on your smartphone, or simply shrink your browser, just to make sure that your text and images align correctly when they are compressed into a smaller space.
Meta Tags
With every new web page comes a new meta title and description. These are what appear in Google when people search for your web page, so you need to make sure that they are completed, including words that accurately describe its content. Your Content Management System should give you an area to upload meta data – if you are unsure, contact your webmaster or get in touch with us!
Links
Including some relevant hyperlinks in your content is a fantastic way to add value to the webpage, whether it’s a link to another website, or an inbound link to another page on your website. A typical example would be if you are including a call-to-action within the content – this should ideally be linked to your contact page. Inbound links are great for SEO because they offer a path for people to follow, meaning they will stick around on your website a little longer as they visit different pages.
Get a second opinion
You’re nearly ready to click publish on your web page! However, we think the final hurdle should involve a second pair of eyes.
(Human eyes, preferably).
Ask a friend or work colleague to have a quick read through the website, and listen to their feedback. Because you have spent so long looking at the page, they might find a glaring error that you have missed.
Once you have corrected any final errors picked up by your second pair of eyes, you will be ready to release your web page into the wild! However, if you need any more help or advice, please feel free to get in touch.