6 Ways to Keep Your Website Current

So it’s midyear already when you realise that despite your ambitious to-do list at the beginning of the year you haven’t made a single update to your website in quite some time. Of course you meant to, but somehow it slipped between the work deadlines and the bills. Fortunately it’s never too late for an upgrade.

Here are 6 areas you can address to keep your website current and competitive for the rest of the year.

1. Focus

Chances are you’re not the person you were a year ago, and your business has likely advanced as well. Now’s a good time to check that the look and themes emphasised on your website match the current status and goals of your company.

Have you added any new skills or services? Be sure they’re reflected on your website. Has your target clientele changed? If so, your website should reflect your new focus.

Make a list of the strengths you’d most like to promote and be sure they’re featured prominently, where potential clients can find and review them easily. A few simple changes could mean big business in the future.

2. Design

Chances are you haven’t updated your website’s design lately. Does the layout best serve the needs of your business? Can visitors find what they need? In broad strokes, simplicity and navigability are your friends.

Try to view your website through the eyes of a new visitor. Are there any barriers to use? Do the screens flow logically from one to the next? Do all the tabs, buckets, sliders and buttons work as they should? Can customers contact you easily?

If you find some feature annoying, a first-time visitor will too. Be sure you’re using your website’s design to create a seamless customer experience.

3. Tracking

Who’s visiting your website? What are they seeking most and how long are they staying? At what rate are visits and inquiries translating into new clients? These are questions you’ll need to answer if you want your website to stay competitive.

There are a variety of tracking software types you can use to gather and interpret the data. Knowing the desires and motivations of visitors is an essential step in keeping your website user-friendly, building client relationships and boosting business.

Determine the metrics that yield the information most relevant to your company. You might be surprised what you learn.

4. SEO

Optimising your website isn’t just a matter of keyword stuffing anymore. Most of the big search engines have gotten rather savvy when it comes to their ranking metrics.

A wide range of marketing and SEO consultant services can help ensure your website is optimised. Also, if your business has a blog or social media presence, be sure those posts are optimised to drive traffic your way.

5. Mobile

Two words: Think mobile. More users are connecting to the web via mobile devices than ever before. That means your website has to look good and read cleanly on a small screen.

How does your logo look when you pull up your website on a phone? Do you have contact information displayed prominently on your website in case visitors have inquiries? Also, keep your content lean and results-oriented. Mobile users tend to make their decisions quickly and don’t like jumping through hoops.

6. Email

While you’re at it, you may want to take a look at revamping your email.

Is your email page clumsy or confusing? Are the sidebars helpful or just clutter? Keeping a clean and simple email page will make it easier to stay on top of key communications.

Also, give a thought to your outgoing emails. Are recipients seeing your company logo in a style that’s clear and identifiable? These days, email is part of branding, so be sure it reflects your skill and professionalism.

SOURCE: 99 Designs