You should know it by now: Online presence is a necessity for any business or organization.
When someone wants to know more about your business and your services or is looking for a business like yours, they go to the Internet, and you want to make sure that once your audience finds you, they like what they see. Impressions are everything, and if it came down to a website that looks outdated and has inaccurate information vs. an up-to-date site with recent projects and a sleek look, who do you think the average customer is going to pick?
That’s not the only reason website updates are important, so continue on and learn why a good website can be a game changer.
1. The Look of Your Website Matters!
The truth is: appearances matter. An outdated website design can signal to others that your company is no longer active or is not up-to-date on modern business trends. We all know we shouldn’t read a book by its cover, but first impressions are undeniably effective, and in this world of overwhelming options, you want your business to make the best impression possible.
Updating your website’s design can also be an opportunity to make your website easier to navigate. A frustrating website design can negatively affect users’ experiences and even cause them to close out of the tab in favor of a competitor’s. Take the time to check and see if your website’s menu, call-to-action buttons, and goals are easy to understand and use.
Even if your business is the best in the game, first impressions can affect whether or not people will bother to find that out. Make sure your online presence highlights the best of your organization and work.
2. Correct outdated information
When changes happen within a company, sometimes updating that one line of text on the website can slip your mind, but important info that connects your clients to your team like contact information or even current team members needs to be accurate so as not to be confusing or frustrating.
Other situations like keeping up a promotion that’s expired, a product you no longer sell, or a business address that has been changed can also lead to clients feeling upset or confused when reaching out to your organization about information they were interested in only to discover it no longer exists.
It’s easy to avoid that outcome with immediate updates to your website when necessary.
3. Showcase Your Recent Work
People like to see progress! What better way to show it than a healthy timeline of successful projects or accomplishments?
Whether it’s a case study, blog post, or a review, having your recent projects/accomplishments on your website shows that your team has been actively working which should be a given, but people like to see it too.
Not every company has work that can be easily highlighted on a website, but businesses with products or services they provide should make an effort to show the result online.
4. Search Engine Optimization!
Fresh website content can also contribute to a better SEO score. Outside of the world of paid ads, ideally you want the best Search Engine Optimization (SEO) score for your website so that it will be listed higher up on search engines. Consistent website updates such as adding a new review, image, or blog post signal to web crawlers that your site is active and may be interesting to users.
You should also keep in mind that the quality of the content matters as well! Useful blog content, for example, is more likely to improve your SEO score than a blog post with random words or nonsensical news.
5. Keyword Updates
In the same vein of keeping your SEO score high, take the time to update your website with unique or relevant keywords.
Maybe your website didn’t previously have keywords implemented or maybe your business is offering new services or products, either way having fresh keywords is how you keep your website noticed by web crawlers and users.
6. Mobile-Friendliness Checks
Since the rise of the mobile phone, when was the last time you made sure your own website was mobile-friendly? For organizations that have had the same website for years, mobile-friendliness checks may have slipped under the radar.
However, a large part of the population now primarily interacts with websites through their mobile device, and if your website isn’t optimized for it, then you could be potentially losing customers who can’t navigate your website on their phone. It only takes one second for a user to get fed up and close out of the tab, so keep their eyes on your site and make it easy to navigate no matter the format.
7. ADA Compliance Standards
Have you checked that your site is up-to-date on following ADA compliance standards? Website compliance regulations for the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) changes from time-to-time and what was once acceptable can change. It’s important to check whether or not your website consistently meets ADA compliance standards for both legal reasons and also to make sure your platforms are as accessible as possible for others.
Regular website updates can be a big difference maker for your business. Thinking of our digital age and how much business and advertising is done online will tell you how important a business’s online presence can be. We hope these tips helped!