Lindsay Boxberger, Digital Marketing and Website Services Manager, was invited by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce to host a small business roundtable discussion on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.
The talk focused on business website security and search engine optimization (SEO).
Keeping Your Website Safe
Lindsay kicked off the presentation by discussing the importance of having a secure, well-maintained website. “Many businesses don’t realize that they’re easy targets for cyberattacks,” states Lindsay. “Small businesses can be even easier targets since their websites are often launched, but not maintained. Website maintenance, like updating plugins and running security scans, requires regular checkups and monitoring. Getting hacked can ruin your business’s reputation pretty quickly.”
Likewise, sites like Google send traffic to websites that are known to be safe. If your website looks credible and meets Google’s security requirements, it is eligible to receive visitor traffic. In the same vein, if your business’s website looks like a security risk, Google will display errors, prevent people from accessing your website, and penalize your rankings.
SEO and Helping Customers Find Your Business Online
The second half of the presentation focused on SEO and making sure potential customers can find your business online. Search engines like Google present customers with website links based on the text they type into the search bar. As a business owner, you want your listing to display on the first page of Google’s search results. Certain website characteristics such as content quality, security, and information from business listing websites affect your business’s SEO.
According to Lindsay, “Your business’s online reputation weighs heavily in SEO. Additionally, you need a secure website with good, accurate, and flourishing content.”
During the discussion, Lindsay also pointed out the importance of consistent business listing data, such as how your address is spelled across sites on the internet. “Humans can understand that ‘S. Main’ and ‘South Main’ are the same thing, but computers need the information to be exact,” states Lindsay. “There are business listing management services out there than can handle your listings data for hundreds of websites. It seems like it would be challenging to keep up with, but it doesn’t have to be when you have the right tools.”
In general, accurate business listings help customers find your business easier on websites, voice assistants, apps, and social networks.
About Lindsay Boxberger
As Digital Marketing and Website Services Manager at High Touch Technologies, Lindsay Boxberger combines marketing expertise with outstanding website development skills to provide value-boosting website services for businesses. With over 10 years of experience in website design and development, Lindsay leads High Touch’s Website Services team, which encompasses Website Development, Website Security, Domain Management, Search Engine Optimization, and Business Listing Management services. Lindsay leads her team by taking an organized, approachable, and systematic approach to website development and management.
A graduate of Emporia State University, Lindsay has been recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as an Emerging Leader (2015) and 40 under 40 (2016) and by the Wichita American Marketing Association with a MAX Merit award (2014) and a Silver Corporate Marketing award for the High Touch website redesign (2019).
Bringing the Human Touch to Technology.
Do you have questions about website security, SEO, and how your business fares? High Touch’s website services team can help you understand your business’s website security, SEO performance, and business listing data. Contact us today to learn more.