Some of us are wondering where the last 18 months have gone. In that time warp, some regular activities may have been unintentionally neglected: oil changes, colonoscopies (ok, maybe that was intentional), website updates. A lot can happen in that time, both within your organization and with the internet. Your website might need a refresh — either a complete rebuild or a renovation.
Maybe you’ve expanded services, hired new team members, or made other changes. Have you updated your website content to reflect that new information? It’s a good idea to review your website content at least twice a year to ensure it’s accurate, hasn’t been hacked, and links still work.
Another good idea is to redesign or renovate your site every 3-4 years. Content and images become stale, plus the internet is constantly changing search engines and algorithms. Keeping your website fresh will better ensure your target audience will find you. Websites that are routinely updated are “crawled” more often by search engines. Also, is your site mobile-friendly? More than half of website visits take place on mobile devices, so it’s vital to provide a user-friendly experience for these potential customers.
Content is still Queen. Adding fresh content not only fuels your social media presence, it also builds more indexed pages to drive SEO. A blog – like this one – allows you to share more information and develop a relationship with your audience. And frankly, new content is critical to social media.
Speed is important, too. Some studies say a website should take no more than 7 seconds to load. The first page of the site should offer the basics of who and what the business is, with clear paths to learn more. Contact information and factors that differentiate your company should be easy to find, and photos should be high-quality.
Websites that look clean, have appealing content, and load fast are only the start of a robust marketing tool. Behind the scenes, your website should be tracking visitors, how long they stay on specific pages, and if they follow embedded links. Reporting on these measures of success will aid you in targeting your marketing efforts. Check out our blog for more information on what you should look for in reports.
Site hosting and updates are back-end services that often get neglected, with disastrous results. Having a professional, in-house or contracted to your web designer, will keep these functions updated and your website operating smoothly.
Whether we are paying attention or not, the world continues to evolve, and technology constantly changes with it. The state of your company’s website reflects the state of the company. Is your website up-to-date and accurately, effectively representing your business?
Metta Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing provider, with a small but nimble team that can develop both structure and content for your website, then put it to the best use to market your business.
