If your website was launched last week or last year, there are steps that you can take to make sure you are building a great online presence. Leveraging your network and keeping thing fresh are surefire ways to continue making your website work for you and making sure you are getting the most out of your investment.
So what can you do, exactly?
1. If your site has just launched, spread the word
When your website goes live, the most important thing to do initially is drive traffic to it. This will help google index it faster and start improving your SEO rankings immediately. Here are some ways to consider getting the word out:
- Email Newsletter – If you have a newsletter or email list, be sure to let everyone know that your site has launched and even more importantly, how it can provide value to them. I use Hubspot and highly recommend. It’s free too on the first tier.
- Social Media – Use your network of Facebook friends, family or co-workers to get the word out. You’d be surprised how far one post can go when it’s shared by a few individuals and liked. Also, if you’re active on Linked In, Instagram or other socials, share away!
- Word of Mouth – Launching your website is an exciting time so tell your community! Get their opinion and see what they think about it. That’s valuable feedback that may come in handy when considering changes and additions to the site moving forward.
2. Keep things fresh and updated
After your website has been live for awhile, we recommend doing some things to keep it fresh. Particularly if you have a site with repeat or recurring visitors. Here are some suggestions:
- Change Out Images – The recommendation is to change out or update images 1-3 times a year. If your website has a main image right when you open the front page, it’s important to keep that fresh and new. For the user, it looks like you’re taking the time to update your site and therefore making it more valuable for them.
- Colors/Layout – If your site has been sitting for more than a year or so, it’s strongly recommended that you do something to spice it up. Whether it’s making some cosmetic changes to the action colors or menu bar, or even just adjusting or adding some new graphics/images. Keeping your site fresh is a GREAT way to keep people coming back.
- Keep Your Information Updated – If information, staff, hours or services change for your business, be sure to change the website too! There’s nothing worse than having wrong information on a website. Or have a staff member’s picture on the page who doesn’t work there anymore. Keep your website updated and streamlined to your business.
3. Build Site Content
A website is viewed by google as being “alive” or “dead.” An “alive” site is driving traffic, getting new and existing users, being updated, posting new blogs and content. If your site is “dead” – e.i. not being managed, updated or taken care of – it can impact your SEO ranking dramatically. Here’s some options on how to build your website content:
- Blog – Websites with blogs generally drive 30-40% more traffic to their sites than their competitors. Google will often pick up blog posts before picking up major website pages. If you can contribute good, lasting content that is well thought out and valuable to your customers, you will drive more traffic. Don’t be afraid to use social media and use your network to get the word out. It’s worth having someone maintain a solid website blog to drive your traffic and grow your online presence.
- New Pages – It’s generally good practice to not only update your images and graphics, but also your content! If you have more services to add to your site, do it! Google 😍LOVES😍 seeing that a site is being built on to. You can also repeat the steps above by reposting your site to your social media outlets and saying that you have updated images, content, new blog post, etc.
- Updated Content – if things in your industry change or your services change, be sure to update your site accordingly. Even adjusting content by a few words can show google that your site is being worked on and is again…”alive”. ⬅️⬅️⬅️
It’s important to Hilltop Marketing that your website is working for you. That traffic is flowing and leads are coming in. If your website is “stale” and hasn’t been updated in a while, or you don’t feel it is effective for your business, reach out! I’d love to talk with you about an action plan for a strong online presence.
Leigh Ann
Hilltop Marketing specializes in website design and development for small business throughout Central New York. We also help plan and execute digital marketing projects. Call 315.717.6218 or contact us here.
