Keepin’ it fresh – The importance of regular website updates
Have you ever visited a website that looks outdated? Maybe the entire website fits on your mobile screen without scrolling. Or have you seen a website and the copywrite date is 10+ years old?
Your business is important, and you probably want it to be important to other people as well. An outdated and hard to navigate website can turn potential customers away before they even give you a chance.
Keeping your website fresh can be broken down into 3 basic categories:
- Content/photos
- Design Elements
- Software
The content, photos, and design are the fun and inviting elements of your website that the customer will see when they visit your website. While most consumers won’t ever see the security measures on the front end, they are the most important.
You may be asking yourself, how often should I be updating my website?
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because it depends on various factors, such as your business type, industry, and audience. However, here are some general guidelines that will work for almost any business:
Content updates
Update your website’s content regularly, ideally monthly. If you have a blog on your website, keep the blog consistent so it doesn’t appear that it has been abandoned. Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly blog posts are a great way to keep your website content fresh while actively keeping your customers engaged with your business. Blog style updating can be in the form of traditional blog posts, news articles, or new pages.
Design updates: Just like fashion, design trends change rapidly, and you should update your website design every two to three years. However, if your website looks outdated, your company’s culture and style has changed, or you are simply tired of your current design, it’s time for a redesign.
Software updates
You should update your website’s software, plugins, and themes as soon as new updates are available, or as soon as you notice there is an update available. These updates can appear weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on your website’s complexity and the software that you use. When these software updates aren’t administered, they can cause the front end of your website to appear “broken” and not function the way that it is supposed to. Aside from software within your website, you should check yearly to ensure that your SSL Certificate regenerated properly to keep your website secure.
We always want the latest and greatest things in technology, and that includes having cool and up-to-date websites. So why let your website be outdated and stale? While updating your website is essential for maintaining its relevance, effectiveness, and user experience, maintaining your website yourself can be a job in and of itself. At Pinnacle Marketing Group, we offer website hosting and maintenance packages accompanied by a dedicated account manager so that you can do what you do best, running your business. Call us today or fill out our inquiry form to get more information on how we can take your website to the next level!
