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Published by: Judy Cobb 07-30-2013  |  POSTED IN: Traffic Tuesdays

Words Blog 32: Keeping Your Website Current

 
A business website should always be viewed as a work in progress. Retail businesses would not put up one display or window dressing and leave it for months or years. Your website is a similar situation. Search engines notice new content and factor that into the search engine optimization (SEO) for your website. Without fresh content, websites become stale quickly as new sites appear on the Web and your competitors update their sites.
 
New visitors are often looking for the latest information about your business, industry or products. If your website was last updated months or years before, most visitors will move to other sites before really seeing what your site has to offer.
 
It is always a good idea to develop "relationships" with website visitors so they remember your website and return when they need information or want to buy your product or service. New content and updated information gives visitors a reason to come back. It also builds your image as a business that stays on top of its industry. Current, accurate information also demonstrates that you understand how to translate information about your industry into a form that a customer can use.
 
Your website needs an ongoing strategy for refreshing content and keeping your website up to date. However, you neither want nor need to make frequent changes to your basic website design and content. It is more efficient and effective to have specific areas of the website that are regularly maintained and updated.
 
Have a Blog! By definition, blogs are revised and updated on a regular schedule. Building and maintaining a blog assures that your website adds content on a predictable schedule.
 
Create a Space on the Home Page for "New News." Include one area on your Home Page for breaking, current or critical news items about your industry or community. This area can focus on your local area if you have a local store or office. It can include information on a variety of topics:
 
• Innovations in products or features
• Reports or highlights from conferences or meetings
• New technologies affecting manufacturing or products in your industry
• New products and services in your industry
• Trends in your industry or business trends in your community or state
• Business forecasts and their potential effect on your industry or community
• Projected changes in your products or industry based on new technologies, current economic trends or world affairs
• Interviews with leaders of your industry or key users of your products or services
 
Add Customer Information. Update and add case studies, testimonials, a description of recent business successes and customer interviews. This area requires regular attention. If visitors only find customer information that has been on the website for months (or years), they may wonder how successful your business is. Expanding this area also allows you to show customers how new products or features have successfully met customers' needs and expectations.
 
Build Links to Other Websites. Provide useful links in a variety of areas related to your business. Add links as you find valuable articles or trending information related to your business or industry. Be sure to add links to articles or guest blogs written by you, your employees or leaders of your industry. Also, make sure to embed buttons on your site that link to your social media pages about your business.
 
Include a Calendar on Your Website. Calendars can offer a valuable service to your visitors by allowing them to find local meetings or events in one place relating to your product, service or industry.
 
It would be nice if you could create a powerful website presence that would stand on its own and draw customers for a long time. With the vast use of social networks and the continual growth of the Web, a website and your presence on the Web require a long-term plan that includes and regular updates and growth of your website.
 
Assuring that your website continues to present its best face to your public requires that you or a key staff member continually monitor content and determine what is most timely and valuable to your customers and potential customers. This is true even if you have a company, an employee or staff who manages your website for you.
 
 
Please share your ideas, comments, questions and suggestions about this blog with us. Feel free to leave comments below or to email Judy at [email protected].
 
Judy Cobb is an independent writer and business writing coach whose clients have included Parsons Engineering, Mattel Toys, The Los Angeles Times and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She has specialized in developing training materials for instructor-led courses as well as interactive online courses and websites. She holds advanced degrees from Columbia University and Stanford as well as an MBA from UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Thanks for reading. Jason.
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe below to this blog.
 
About Jason Ciment
Formerly an attorney and CPA, Jason has been working online since 1997. His columns on affiliate marketing can still be found on www.Clickz.com and his book on search engine optimization can be found at www.seotimetable.com.

This blog is published 4x per week and covers website design and SEO tips as well as a wide range of tips and advice for working and living online more efficiently and enjoyably.
 

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