Your website is the centerpiece and the go-to spot for information about your company and its services. It is the hub for your sales and marketing efforts. It is the place to link customers with you and your offerings. It is where clients get their call to action from you. It needs to be accurate, easy and mobile friendly. It needs to be welcoming for your customers and clients and intuitive in terms of where to find things.
So how often does it need to be updated?
Content should be updated in some form at least weekly, preferably daily. This can seem overwhelming for a small business, but consider an automated system for tweets, a weekly or monthly blog or some other type of manageable, consistent new stuff on your site. Other things to consider: swap out the pictures in the sliders, change some of the graphics, update the testimonials – something. In addition to freshening up your site, your SEO rank will improve.
So how often does it need a total makeover?
It depends.
Don’t like that answer? Here’s why it’s not a science.
If your site works for you and you convert visitors to customers at a good rate, you sell your products at a brisk pace, people can find you on the web, you get positive feedback – then congratulations! You can keep your website as is for now.
Otherwise, it’s time to think of a total re-do every 3-5 years. Here are some signs it may be time for a complete makeover:
- Your site looks tired with an old format or theme for example.
- Your site is not responsive at all or the mobile version is awkward.
- Your mission has changed and you need a branding jumpstart.
- You need new functionality.
- You want a fresh appearance and a new attitude.
Do a website assessment with data and stats about visitors and with a check for functionality and form. It may be time for a website rehab. And now, the big reveal:
Before and after pictures courtesy of Bernadette Rivel daniels, Identity Brand + Design.
Leisa Chester Weir
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