Creating a Website can be fun, time consuming and sometimes even frustrating if you are new at working with hidden codes.

Some business owners have even gone so far as to have a family member setup a Website for them, but their site is not ranking in search engines at all.

[source: Eparrs] A business owner had a Website so full of unnecessary code that the search engines did not rank their site well because of the clutter. If this describes what you are going through, please understand, while drop and drag software may be a great tool for some, it can leave a Web page full of unnecessary code. You need to understand hidden codes so you can know what codes to remove when using this type of software. Better still, using content management software like WordPress will solve that issue for you.

So now, let’s move on to 5 ways to make your Website stand out from your competition:

1. Responsive design

If your Website is not at least responsive to all devices as of April 2015, your Website will not rank very high in Google any longer. So, no more excuses, responsive design is an easy solution for most Websites. Find a template that will work for you.

2. Bring your Website home

A major American Web hosting service is advertising a lot on Canadian TV and radio. You need to consider this: Would you open, say, your new dress shop in a city in the state of Kansas when you want to serve Toronto, Ontario? Then why would you have your Website hosted on a server located anywhere in the States?

3. At the very least, do basic SEO

Without (at the very least) basic SEO that new Website you just spent hours creating, will go nowhere in search results… unless of course, you have used a very clever technique of using your keywords in your newly registered domain name. Examples: torontocarpetcleaner.com, oshawadeli.com or cobourggiftshop.com… but then, that option is a basic SEO.

4. Use images wisely

I cannot stress this enough… nor repeat it too many times; do not use an image on your Website that you do not either own the full rights to or have paid for the rights to use. Many Website owners have learned this costly lesson the hard way (and I do mean costly lesson)… thousands of dollars costly! Please, don’t you end up being one of them.

5. Share only quality, unique information

The information you share with your Website visitors needs to be unique. In other words, not duplicated from some other Website, because Google hates duplicate content. Now you can consider yourself forewarned. Besides, if you offer your visitors unique content related to your business, they will be more apt to share it on social media or with their friends. Let your information be complete (don’t be afraid to share), honest and let it work for your Website.

By following these 5 ways to make your Website stand out from your competition, your Website is bound to be ranked ahead of your competition in Internet search results. So, what are you waiting for?