Let’s be real — most of us build a website, hit publish, and then wonder why nothing’s happening.
No traffic.
No leads.
No love from Google.
But here’s the good news: You don’t need to be a tech wizard or hire an expensive agency to fix that. You can optimize your own website. And it’s not as hard as it sounds.
I’ll walk you through how I do it — step by step, no jargon, no nonsense.
1. Your Website Is Probably Too Slow (Fix That First)
If your site takes forever to load, people leave. That’s just how it is.
I tested mine on GTmetrix and it was taking 8 seconds to load. No wonder my bounce rate was sky-high.
Here’s what I did:
Compressed all images with TinyPNG.
Deleted heavy plugins I wasn’t even using.
Installed a free caching plugin (LiteSpeed Cache).
After that? My site loaded in under 3 seconds. Boom.
2. Make It Easy to Use — Like, Stupid Easy
I used to think more features = better website. Nope.
People come to your site for a reason — make it easy for them.
Ask yourself:
Can someone find your contact page in 2 clicks?
Is your menu clear or cluttered?
Is your call-to-action (like “Get a Quote” or “Buy Now”) obvious?
Less is more. Seriously.
3. Mobile Is Everything
Over half of your visitors are on their phone. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, they’re gone.
Quick test:
Open your site on your phone. Can you read everything? Are the buttons easy to tap? Is anything cut off?
If not, you’ve got some work to do.
Use responsive themes or page builders like Elementor (on WordPress) to make this easier.
4. Write Like a Human, Not a Robot
SEO doesn’t mean stuffing a bunch of keywords into your site. Google is smarter than that.
What works now is useful, clear, and easy-to-read content.
Tips that work:
Use short paragraphs (nobody wants to read a wall of text).
Make your headings useful (not just “Welcome” or “About”).
Talk to your audience like you’d talk to a friend.
Example:
Instead of “We offer premium digital marketing services,” say “We help small businesses get more traffic and sales — without the tech overwhelm.”
5. Add Alt Text to Your Images
This one’s simple but most people skip it.
When you upload an image, describe it in the “alt text” box. It helps visually impaired users AND gives you a small SEO boost.
Bad alt text: IMG_4567
Good alt text: Chocolate cake with strawberries on white plate
It takes 10 seconds per image. Worth it.
6. Link Between Your Pages
Google loves when your pages are connected.
So instead of having 10 random pages floating around, link them together:
Link your blog posts to your services page.
Link your homepage to your “About” page.
Use keywords naturally in the links.
It’s good for SEO and it helps your visitors find what they need faster.
7. Check for Broken Links, Typos & Other Small Errors
This sounds obvious, but I swear — I’ve seen so many sites with broken links, spelling mistakes, or buttons that don’t work.
Use Broken Link Checker to clean up bad links.
Read your site out loud. You’ll catch more mistakes that way.
It’s boring work, but it makes a difference.
8. Know What’s Working (and What’s Not)
You don’t need to be a data geek, but you should at least set up:
Google Analytics — shows who’s visiting and what pages they’re looking at.
Google Search Console — shows how people are finding you in search.
Both are free. Both are gold.
Just log in once a week and see what’s going on. You’ll be surprised what you learn.
Final Word
Optimizing your website isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s a process.
Start small. Fix the speed. Clean up your homepage. Make it easy for people to take action. Then, keep improving bit by bit.
Don’t overthink it. Don’t aim for perfect.
Just aim to be a little better than yesterday. That’s how websites grow.
If you want a free checklist version of this blog or want me to take a quick look at your site, just ask. I love helping people figure this stuff out.