How Often Should I Update My Website Design or Add Fresh Content?

If you’re asking, you’ll probably hate the answer… but hear us out before you tell us what we can do with our recommendation…  Weekly or daily updates are best (certainly no less than monthly). What?! Why?! How?!  Here’s what you need to know:

1. WHY do I need to update my website frequently?

Three top reasons (just the tip of the iceberg):

• You want your info to be found. Fresh, quality content helps you show up in relevant search results. Think about the search phrases people enter and address those, specifically, and you’ll be expanding your potential for appearing as a relevant page.
• You want to be the one people think about. Useful updates give you reasons to communicate with your customers, keep you top of mind and offer new (or new angles on old) reasons to buy.
• You want people to have faith in you. Image still matters; staying current (and clean) imbues confidence. For smaller firms in particular, or those without large sales teams, regular updates help reassure prospects and customers that you’re still in business, still competitive.

Look at it this way: 80% of US adults use the Internet; 50% access the Internet via smartphone. If your target audience is in this majority, your website is among the least expensive, most direct media available to influence them to action. Use it well and it will serve you well.

2. WHAT should I add when I update my website?

• Add a blog post answering a question you or customer service gets asked.
• Add new photo(s).
• Add a mobile-friendly format. Half of us are there, and action-ready as we use, it to make buying decisions on-the-fly – don’t make the experience clunky).
• Switch out a benefit message or offer according to seasonality, competitive activity, an intriguing fact or a specific need/want you satisfy well.
• Add a video, article, press release, downloadable info sheet or white paper.
• Link to a relevant piece of information on another site (opening in a new tab or window).
• Set up Twitter or Facebook page updates as a feed (if your company is active there)
• Profile an employee in your team who’s been praised by customers.
• Profile a customer others will be interested in.
• Describe one of your strategic partners and/or how that partnership benefits your audience.

3. HOW do I make the most of my new content?

Hopefully your update(s) capture your audience’s attention, prompt action and reinforce your brand, so spread the word:

• Announce the update by email.
• Add links to it from your staff’s email signature line.
• Post about the update on your social media sites—and add new links to it from those sites (also good for SEO).

Now take a page out of the great Nike® brand book and JUST DO IT®. You know where to turn if you need some help keeping your online (or offline) Marketing Machine humming…

Contact us at 919-460-7978 for the answer to your question “how often should I update my website design or content options?”