Having a website is one of the most important steps you can take when you’re trying to get the word out about your business. Consumers turn to your site to find out more about your company, your product or service, your employees—and about you. This is especially true if you work from your home rather than from a separate physical office. Your website becomes your storefront, the face you present to the world.
So ask yourself: Am I due for a facelift? (The virtual kind, not the literal kind.)
There’s one thing that’s almost as bad as not having a website—having an outdated website. Unlike social media, websites are usually full of what designers call ‘static content’—information that has no need to change constantly. Unlike your Facebook page, which should be updated at least every week, your website is less demanding. (Learn how important social media feedback is by reading this post.)
How to Tell If Your Website Needs an Update
It’s easy to forget about your site, especially if you’re busy. To find out if your website needs a revisit, answer these five questions:
- What Does My Design Say? Website design has shifted over the last five years or so. Gone are text-heavy pages; in their stead are chic, minimalist works of graphic design, where the use of white space is at least as important as the few lines of content on the page. If your site is still stuck in 2005, it’s time to switch things up.
- Has My Company Changed? Have a significant number of staff come or gone? Then update your About Us page. Have you moved to a new location, added phone numbers, or increased your service area? Make sure your website is 100% up to date.
- Are My Product or Service Descriptions Still Accurate? If you’re offering new products, make sure they’re on the site. If you’ve discontinued an item, make sure it’s off the site. (Not just marked unavailable—off the site. Otherwise, you risk confusing your customers, who may think it’s only temporarily backordered.)
- Are My Testimonials Up to Date? Some companies pull testimonials or product reviews from their Facebook pages. If your customer’s remarks reveal dates from a couple years back, make sure that you have some more recent examples on display as well. It keeps your site current and reassures people that you’re still doing a good job.
- How Long Have I Had This Site? Your domain name may be set to auto-renew, but your site isn’t. You should be checking on your site’s performance regularly. If you use a web hosting company (like Weebly, for example), site analytics are included in paid memberships. Use this information to ensure your site is still holding its own. If you let your site go, you could be letting potential leads go as well.
IT problems got you—or your computer—down? Then contact Techsperts Services today, and let us help you get back to business.