There are only two types of visitors that regularly access a firm’s website. Human internet users are the first type, namely prospective clients, current clients and competitors. Robots and machines, otherwise known as search engines, are the second type.

Both sets of visitors have very different methods of assessing how well a website works, as what appeals to humans does not necessarily appeal to search engines, and vice versa.

This is why firms seeking to establish a strong online presence must understand the importance of catering to both kinds of visitors.

High-quality and visually appealing website designs, easy to read content and clear navigational paths are design elements that are aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. These design elements have the power to increase online client engagement and give human users a positive perception of a firm.

On the other hand, beautiful colour schemes and designs do nothing to impress a search engine. These robots are more interested in aspects such as a website’s URL structures, the optimised titles, descriptions and internal links, how user-friendly and responsive a page is, and the quality of published content.

A successful website appeals to its target audience, therefore firms wanting to establish a strong online presence need to consider the different needs of the two visitors.