Keeping Your Website Current

It is not enough to simply have a website that you can point your customers to. Many companies fall foul of this assumption and neglect website content. Website content determines the image people have of your organisation. For example, if when they visit they find that the last update was several months ago (dare I say years?!) they will not leave with a favourable impression, not least because of the outdated site design. Quite often your website will be the only contact you have with potential customers (unbeknownst to you), therefore your content needs to be relevant enough to engage and secure a repeat visit. Don’t underestimate visitors to your site – they will be able to tell if a website is not as current as it should be, especially if you have not updated sections relevant to your core business/services, staff or even industry regulations that have been reformed since the launch of your site.

HERE ARE OUR TOP REASONS FOR KEEPING YOUR WEBSITE CURRENT:

The best way to impress new visitors to your site is with interesting and informative content. If customers get an inkling that the data on your website is old they will be discouraged from coming back. Take note of industry news and update your blog with news to show you’re active.
Your website is your link to thousands of contacts who may or may not be potential customers. If people like what you have to say on your site, they will afford you the privilege of being an entry in their Favourites list. However if after checking a few times for new content and your site not delivering, chances are these individuals will not make a return visit.
Keeping a company website fresh and current gives the organisation a competitive edge. Your industry colleagues may not be updating their site, but more than likely if they were to start, you would be the one playing catch up. It does not have to be an onerous job, nor one that falls to just one individual. If it makes it easier to maintain, make it a team responsibility, a standing agenda item at departmental/team meetings. Either that or hire a copywriter.
If you want other sites to link to you – you have to make it worth their while. If your online content remains static, you may be successful in getting one or two affiliates. Regularly updating articles/news items will get you noticed by quality websites which will not only guarantee an increased number of visitors but significantly improve your company’s search engine ranking.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO REWRITE YOUR ENTIRE WEBSITE TO KEEP CURRENT

Keeping your website current is not difficult, especially if you make it a priority. There are a number of methods that help to make the process easier; blogs, online forums and social media feeds are all tried and tested ways to remain up to date. If it’s the ‘what’ you struggle with, consider adding, updating, replacing (or even deleting) any of the following: photos (product, team, location), events information, customer/product testimonials, service information, and staff profiles. Alternatively do some research – what are your competitors doing?