Posted under Web
Its that time of year where we begin thinking resolutions. Whether its weight loss, balancing your checkbook (my resolution every year) or promising to clean out your garage, the possible life improvements that people plan to make on January 1st are usually abundant.
But what are your business resolutions? How about updating your website?
Websites are just amazing little marketing gifts. With proper attention and regular care, they can be your
most cost effective and most successful form of marketing. Problem is, many small businesses find that theirs has been collecting dust on the Internet for the last year. Yes, maybe its time to take off that offer that expired in October of 2004.
The thing with the world of web design is that the expectation of what to find on a website changes from year to year. The days of the brochure website are over - people are looking for more than just information - they want to visit websites that do stuff.
So how can you take advantage of this trend? Here are some thoughts:
- Consider freshening up your design. If you had your site created a few years ago, its likely to need a little makeover to make it look current. Why is this important? Like bell bottoms and bee hive hairdos, a website design can become dated and you likely don’t want to send that message to your customer.
- Add a blog. This is a great way to keep your content fresh. Blogs are cheap, simple to use and a good way to show your credibility. Not sure if anyone will read your blog? The search engines do and that can help your customer find you faster.
- Add a video. Do a demo of your product or just a short intro to your website. A video on your site is cheaper that purchasing broadcast airtime. Video creates emotion - its adds a dimension to your business that print just can’t.
- Make a resolution to update your site on a monthly basis. No matter what, schedule regular content updates. This helps you manage your visitor’s impression of your business. It lets them know you are there.
When all is said and done, your website shouldn’t be a nuisance to you, it should work for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Small steps in keeping it updated should make your marketing life simpler in the long run. And maybe it will be a resolution you can keep.
All the best!