Why you need to update your website and how to do it

I recently shared the importance of having a website for your business, but equally important is keeping that website updated and making sure your content is relevant. Now, I’m not saying you should redesign your website once a month, but there are a few things you should be doing on a regular basis to make sure your website is reaching its potential. Let’s talk about why you need to update your website and what you can do to keep it relevant.

Keep It Fresh

Updating your website often with new images and updated content will keep things fresh for old visitors. If your website is working for you, you should have repeat customers or readers coming back to your website again and again. They don’t want to be met with the same old images and text for a year, or they may not come back as often. Again I say, this doesn’t mean you have to update your website every day, but make it a habit to check things once or twice a month and add in some new images or text.

Things get outdated

If you offer a service, it is important to update your portfolio page often so your potential new clients can see what you have been working on lately. If you sell products, you will probably be adding new items, but don’t forget about the old ones. Out-of-date or unavailable items can confuse customers and clutter your website.

Things can become outdated really easily, and it’s important to keep those things up to date for your website visitors. You don’t want to show them products from last year’s collection only for them to find they are no longer available. You don’t want to have employees listed that no longer work there.

Links become broken

Links can change often, so be sure to check the links that you have within your site so that they are all linking correctly. You don’t want to send someone to a broken page and have them leave your site because they can’t find what they are looking for. Every so often, click around on your own website to make sure that all of your links are updated. The same can be said for links outside of your website too. If you change pages within your website, links on your social media accounts or other websites will become broken.

How to update your website

Your website won’t update itself. You have to make time to do these things for your business and brand. While they may seem like tedious tasks, I promise that doing this will be beneficial to your brand. Updating your website will ensure that your audience is seeing the most useful and relevant information to them. Here’s what you can do to get started:

update your headshot
replace the images on your home page
check your content for outdated text
check for broken links

Recap

Getting a website is the first step. But then you need to manage it and use it for what it’s worth. A website can be a great tool for your business, but if your website is outdated, unprofessional, and full of old content, then it gives a bad impression of your business. It shows visitors that you don’t care about your business and that you may treat your work the same way.

Next Steps

You can update your website with confidence by utilizing guidance and resources like the Website Planner and Content Workbook and Premium Showit website templates. These things will guide you through the process step by step so you can elevate your online presence with a website that actually works for your business.