As 2025 approaches, many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are setting resolutions for growth and success in the coming year. One resolution that should top your list is building a professional, user-friendly website that enhances your online presence and attracts customers. With over 1 billion websites on the internet today and mobile devices accounting for more than 50% of web traffic, a modern, optimized website is no longer optional – it’s essential.
Creating a successful website can feel daunting, but with the right tools and strategies, it doesn’t have to be. Yola offers the features and insights you need to succeed, from responsive design and mobile optimization to advanced search engine marketing tools. Here’s how you can ensure 2025 is your year for online success.
1. Go responsive with advanced mobile features
Mobile browsing has become the dominant way people access the internet. Your website must deliver a seamless experience across all devices – whether your visitors are on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. A responsive design ensures your site automatically adjusts to fit any screen, improving user experience and helping with SEO rankings.
Yola makes going responsive easy. With a vast selection of responsive website templates, you can create a visually stunning site that performs beautifully on all devices.
Creating a mobile-responsive website
Yola’s Sitebuilder takes the guesswork out of mobile design. All blocks are mobile-optimized and professionally structured to adjust to any device format. Your published site automatically resizes to look great on all screens, from smartphones to tablets and desktops.
Key features include:
Automatic resizing: No custom design work is needed – your blocks are pre-optimized.
Vertical stacking: Elements aligned horizontally on desktops (e.g., feature or product blocks) are stacked vertically for easy navigation on smaller screens.
Mobile-friendly design
When visitors access your site from a mobile device, the layout adapts dynamically. The smaller screen size and vertical orientation of mobile devices require a clean, intuitive structure, and Yola delivers just that. Elements are rearranged for clarity, reducing the need for horizontal scrolling or zooming.
Pro tip: Use the Preview button on the Topbar to see how your site will look on various devices before publishing.
On-the-go website management
With Yola’s mobile Sitebuilder, you can build, edit, and refine your website directly from your mobile device. All you need is an internet connection – no apps required.
Key benefits include:
Full functionality: Access all desktop Sitebuilder features, including advanced settings and design tools.
Ease of use: Effortlessly adjust content, add new blocks, or edit visuals with simple taps on your screen.
Real-time editing: Make changes anytime, anywhere, 24/7, regardless of your subscription plan.
Consistent design: The What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor ensures your layout and style remain cohesive across devices.
Whether you’re at home or on the move, Yola empowers you to create and manage a professional, responsive website that caters to your audience’s needs.
Leverage the flexibility of Sitebuilder to keep your website fresh and user-friendly, no matter where you are. The convenience of mobile editing ensures your site stays updated and relevant, meeting the demands of an increasingly mobile-first audience.
2. Optimize for search engines and traffic growth
Driving traffic to your website starts with being visible in search engine results. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is key to helping your small business stand out online, attract potential customers, and grow your brand. Yola equips you with tools and insights to achieve this, making SEO accessible even for beginners.
Why SEO matters for small businesses
Consider this: if you run a custom motorcycle repair shop in Denver, Colorado, potential customers searching for “Harley Davidson repair Denver” or “motorcycle maintenance near me” are your ideal audience. Without proper optimization, your competitors could dominate the search results, leaving your business overlooked. Effective SEO ensures your website is front and center when potential clients search for services like yours.
Tips to improve your website’s SEO
Start with strong keywords
Research keywords your customers are likely to use. For example, a local bakery might optimize for terms like “artisan bread in [city name]” or “wedding cakes near me.”
Yola’s Traffic Builder tool makes keyword research straightforward. It provides a detailed breakdown of keyword traffic volumes, so you can identify which search terms are worth targeting.
Optimize content for relevance
Use your keywords naturally in headlines, descriptions, and content. For instance, a fitness coach could write blog posts like “5 Beginner Workouts for Weight Loss” to rank higher for those searching for workout tips.
Ensure all content adds value to readers – Google prioritizes useful, engaging material.
Add metadata and descriptive tags
Metadata, such as page titles and descriptions, plays a crucial role in how search engines categorize your site. Write concise, keyword-rich meta descriptions that compel users to click on your link.
Improve website speed
Page speed is crucial not only for user experience but also for search engine rankings. A fast-loading website keeps visitors engaged and reduces bounce rates, while Google prioritizes quick-loading sites in search results.
Optimizing website speed can be a simple yet powerful way to boost online visibility. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Pingdom are excellent resources for checking your website’s speed and getting actionable insights for improvement. These tools identify slow-loading elements like large images or unnecessary scripts, so you can fix them and provide a better user experience.
Leverage local SEO
For brick-and-mortar businesses, creating a Google Business Profile can help. Optimize your site for local keywords like “[service] in [city]” and ensure your address, phone number, and operating hours are easy to find.
Keep your website fresh
Search engines value active sites. Regularly update your website with new blog posts, promotions, or customer testimonials.
Track performance with Traffic Builder
Exclusive to Yola Gold subscribers, Traffic Builder is your all-in-one SEO assistant:
- Keyword monitoring: Identify and track keywords directly relevant to your business.
- Traffic analysis: See which keywords drive the most visits and uncover areas for improvement.
- Actionable insights: Optimize underperforming pages with suggestions tailored to your site’s content.
Pro tip: Be sure to include your target keywords on your website for accurate tracking and actionable results. Traffic Builder provides you with valuable data to fine-tune your SEO strategy and maximize your site’s potential.
4. Analyze and adapt with sales stats and reports
Data-driven decisions are the key to success in 2025. The new built-in sales stats and reports in the online store can help you track visitors, orders, revenue, and marketing channels all in one place.
These reports are designed to give you a comprehensive overview of your store’s health, enabling smarter, data-driven decisions.
Key capabilities include:
- Visitor insights: Learn how users interact with your site, including the pages they visit and how long they stay.
- Revenue tracking: Monitor daily, weekly, or monthly revenue to identify growth opportunities or challenges.
- Order analytics: Analyze order trends to forecast demand and optimize inventory.
- Marketing channel insights: Understand which platforms are driving the most traffic and conversion rates, helping you focus your efforts on what works best.
Read more about the Yola Online Store.
5. Simplify website creation with AI tools
Creating a website is often a challenging task for business owners who may lack the necessary design or content creation skills. To address these common hurdles, Yola has introduced several AI-powered tools that streamline the process and make it more accessible for users.
These tools help solve key challenges:
- Simplifying the site creation process to save time
- Overcoming writer’s block by suggesting content
- Maintaining a professional standard without extra cost
- Removing technical barriers for non-experts
Currently, Yola AI offers these helpful AI tools:
- AI Website Builder
- AI Design Assistant
- AI Block Assistant
- AI Text Assistant
Discover more information about them in our recent blog post.
Make 2025 the year of growth
Creating a professional and competitive website doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With Yola’s cutting-edge features, responsive templates, and tools like SiteWit, you have everything you need to succeed in the digital world. Resolve to make 2025 your year for online growth – start building your website with Yola today.