Lost for Words?
How to keep your website updated and engaging for the long haul – without running out of ideas!
Ever wondered why some websites flourish while others wither away into internet obscurity? Brace yourself for this surprising fact: the average website loses 63% of its organic traffic within six months of not updating its content. (Source: HubSpot)
And it’s not just a one-time occurrence.
Search engines and users crave fresh content. They’re like hungry sharks circling for the next big catch. If you don’t feed them, they’ll swim away. Sounds harsh I know, but this shocking fact is backed by solid analytics data, and it’s a clear sign that you need to keep your website updated.
Let’s think about this; you invested precious time and effort in creating a stunning website. Even if you weren’t the one to code it, you’ll have doubtless taken serious time to review and test it at key stages of the build, to be certain it represents you authentically online. Now it’s done – and looks great – but you leave it to stagnate.
What happens?
Your potential customers land on your website, find outdated information, and swiftly swim away to your competitors who are serving up fresh content. The stakes are high. Your website can be your strongest asset or your weakest link and, as I was telling the audience at the recent Eastbourne Digifest event, the customer experience you deliver online will determine whether they choose to work with you, or someone else…
So, how do you ensure your website stays fresh and engaging without running out of ideas?
The key is strategic planning. Consider creating a content calendar. This simple but effective tool can help you map out topics and ideas for months, if not years, in advance. Identify the core themes related to your business and industry, and use them as your guiding star. I share a step-by-step approach to this in Chapter 22 of my best-selling book Website Mastery for Business Owners who Don’t Speak Tech – grab your copy from Amazon here.
One client who truly grasped the importance of regularly updating their website came to us because their old site had been mouldering away for many years and – oddly enough – that just wasn’t pulling in the level of new enquiries they needed to keep their manufacturing business moving forward.
Not only did we redesign the site to appeal to their target audience on first visit, we planned ahead for future developments with a backend system to make it easy for the client to regularly update their Blog and Useful Resources sections – two of the most popular areas of their site. Now repeat visitors can instantly see that the website is always fresh and content is current – placing this company at the forefront of their industry – and their potential customers’ minds.
At the end of the day, maintaining an active and engaging website is crucial for long-term success. If every time you visited a shop you saw the same items on the shelves and had the same conversations with the assistant, you wouldn’t keep going back. It’s the same in your business. Keep your website fresh and inviting and your customers will return time and time again.
Have you read our best-selling book: Website Mastery for Business Owners who Don’t Speak Tech?
Download a free chapter or buy your copy from http://www.websitemasterybook.com