Updating your website: Our top tips to keep it fresh

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Updating your website: Our top tips to keep it fresh

To date, it is estimated there are over 300 million domains registered worldwide and the Internet is ever growing. With so much competition in the 24 hour marketplace, it is important that your website is not only a good reflection of your business but is well maintained and kept up to date. So why do you need to update your website?

 

1. Help search engines find you

Search engines are used across the world on a day to day basis. It’s hard to imagine what the Internet would be like without them. If you want your website to be found, ensure you update regularly. Up to date content is viewed by search engines as the most relevant therefore improving your rankings.

 

Help search engines find you

 

2. Impress your customers

Have you posted recently on your website? Have you considered the last news story on your site posted 2 years ago could actually be detrimental? Letting your website go stale gives the impression you aren’t doing much business or you just aren’t all that bothered. Give your potential customers a good first impression with regular, fresh updates from both your company and industry.

 

3. Get people talking

Have something interesting to say or some news that could affect your customers? Get posting! Providing valuable information gets people talking and sending others to your website. Inbound links are of great value to your website and the increasing use of social media is a great tool to encourage the sharing of information.

 

Get people talking

 

 

Someone once said your website is like garden; take care of it! Use our top tips to keep your site current and on the ball.

 

1. Make it CMS

If you have a website that relies on a developer to make updates and post news, it is likely that maintaining your site it is often put on the back burner. Understandably of course, parting with cash to publish a case study can be a hard concept to swallow. A content managed system (CMS) means the power is all yours! From changing your business address to providing news on your latest promotions, ensure potential customers are kept in the loop.

 

2. Blogs and News

From industry news to a company fundraising event, posting at least once a month shows your customers you care. From short news flashes to case studies not only are you empowering your viewers but search engines will look favourably upon a website is that not only updates regularly but provides quality content in relation to the industry concerned.

 

3. Imagery and Videos

Not only do images make your content more exciting, both engaging your viewers and subsequently encouraging them to share links to your website; they can also be a valuable way of improving your search engine rankings. Ensure your images are optimised for search engines by using alt text, a suitable file name and captions where needed. Videos are also a great way to interact with your customers, empower them with tutorials and product demonstrations or share exciting company news.

 

4. Update or Rebuild

When it comes to the question, when should I rebuild my website, there are no set rules. You may have introduced new branding or colours and your website needs to reflect the changes. You may want to branch out from a brochure site to actually selling your products or services online. A well thought out redesign can lower bounce rates, attract new customers and generally improve your online presence. Your content may be fresh, but is your website design?

 

There are many ways that you can keep your online presence fresh and today updating your website is more important than ever. Just a few hours of attention a month can make a huge difference to your online success. If you need assistance or advice about updating your website or maintaining your content, speak to an expert at Verve today.