When you own a small business, performing regular maintenance on your website is an absolute necessity. I saw an article recently outlining seven steps for updating your website.
The article makes several good points about updating your site. For instance, if your site was designed a few years ago, the look and feel may be outdated. Cleaner layouts that use space effectively have taken the place of sites that shoehorn in pictures and content.
Another piece of good advice involves broken links, which are a telltale sign of neglect. Make it a point to check the links on your site. (By the way, many experts agree that broken links adversely affect Google page rank.)
The one that hit home most for me concerned outdated information. I recently came across a site that had “New Arrivals – September 2010” on its home page. That doesn’t really entice me to go to its ecommerce page.
Also of utmost importance is the blog. The article discussed the liability having “a dusty, dated blog” will have on prospects. Quite simply, a majority of potential customers will go elsewhere if they see that your blog hasn’t had an entry in a few months. The article suggests once a week for a blog, which is about right for most businesses.
Promotion is just one area of concern when you own a small business. We make it our mission to help you in every possible way, from incorporation to trademark protection. If your site needs an overhaul, or you need to build a website from scratch, we’re here to help!