Most things in life have a used-by-date, and your website is no exception. Don’t let old, irrelevant content cause havoc to your online marketing strategy, keep pages fresh and significant to customers to ensure they notice you and keep coming back.
Do you remember why you first developed your website? Was it to attract new visitors, keep current customers or establish yourself as an industry leader?
Take a moment to think back to the thoughts and feelings you had when you began your online journey. Have your ideals, products or services developed overtime?
If this is the case then that most likely means you have experience some level of success (well done!) but that is no reason to forget why you started in the first place. In fact it’s a better reason to ensure your online service continues to grow to achieve your goals. Fresh, appropriate content is vital to ensure your website ranks high in SEO by encouraging Google’s ‘spider’ Googlebot to access your site and use content to update the web index.
Here’s a few simple steps you can take to ensure your website is current:
Use a Content Management System (CMS): The beauty of a CMS is that it takes all hard work out of the technical side of uploading data to your website. A CMS updates pages automatically through the backend, it allows you to schedule content and assign tasks between users. More than one person can use the system at a time and it’s relatively easy to use.
Consider SEO: One of the main goals of a website is to rank highly on search engines like Google. Regular, relevant and quality content on your page will help you avoid being pushed down the ranking line (heaven forbid you end up on the third page!)
Write a blog: A blog is a great way to let customers see a more personal side of you. Your blog can discuss relevant topics and how they affect the industry, or discuss products similar to what you sell, anything goes! You blog can be updated daily or weekly depending on what you have to say. It’s a great way to get people excited about what you do and intrigued by who you are.
Encourage regular testimonials: Let’s be honest, no one will trust a website whose last testimonial was months or even years ago. To be credible in your industry it’s crucial you keep this section updated with both video and written feedback from your customers. You might find it is the first page visitors go to before purchasing your products or taking on a piece of your wisdom! Feel free to have a bit of fun with this section. You can include case studies which is an in-depth view of your service from your perspective. By keeping this section fresh you prove to potential new customers that you are a market leader and continually sought after which will make you a credible supplier in their minds.
Connect through social media: The great thing about social media is that it is constantly evolving. There are multiple platforms to help get people talking about you and drive traffic back to your website. It is a form of marketing you can take care of yourself or leave to the experts and it can be done anywhere at any time. Regular social media updates will let people know you are serious about what you do and keep you on their minds.
Educate with news: Depending on your industry you might find it worthwhile to update your customers through a news feed. Upcoming industry events, news product launches or press releases could also be sourced from your news feed.