How to Feed and Care for Your WebsiteComments
Posted In Series, Support, Web Design, WebMedley One, WebMedley Two, WordPress
Well, no. A website alone is just a collection of data on the Internet, unless you maximize its usefulness. Used effectively, however, it can be the foundation of your marketing, and the connector to all of your promotional efforts.
In order to make sure your website stays healthy, happy and effective for the long-term, be sure to follow these four steps.
Integrate
Your website is often the first way that potential customers, members, volunteers or clients find you and learn about your organization. Creating a visually appealing website, developing pages and links that are easily navigated and populating it with interesting information is essential. Once people have come to visit you, take the opportunity to connect them with other aspects of your organization.
Make sure that your website has links to your newsletter and blog. Be sure your website address can easily been found on those other media. Use your website address as part of your signature in your business emails. Better yet, use an email address that incorporates your website name. For example, joesmith@mybusiness.com sounds much more professional than joesmith@hotmail.com.
Does your website truly represent all parts of your business? Are you including activities from all departments and branches? Are the initiatives and goals of various divisions incorporated on the site? This process helps the website provide a more complete view of your company.
Refresh
To encourage viewers to visit your website frequently, it needs to offer something new periodically. Develop a schedule for adding new items. It could be a preview of upcoming events, new newsletters, or updated blog posts. It could be a review of a new product, a thank you for contributors of an activity, or an acknowledgement of contest winners or awards. Develop content for your desired audience.
Refreshing information in your website isn’t limited to text. New pictures, video or audio are very effective at communicating with your visitors.
Invite readers to check back with the website for new information, so they form the habit of visiting you repeatedly.
In addition to keeping your website interesting for current visitors, by changing your content periodically, you can attract more new visitors. When a person does a search on particular keywords, search engines scour the web to bring up appropriate search results. By adding new information to your web, you give the search engine more information to find, which helps it find your website faster, and puts it higher on the results list.
Keep looking at your web site statistics. The stats program will show you how people found you and what words they used to find your site in search engines. You can use this information to help you create new material for your site.
Renew the Design and Functionality
At minimum — Every two or three years, it is time to give your website a checkup. Is it starting to look a little dated? Are the links in it still up to date? Are there better ones to use? Every few years or so, you may need to overhaul your website. Does it do everything you want it to do? Do you have the space and speed you need to convey your organization’s message? Do you need to incorporate any new functions, such as a shopping cart? Based on customer needs and business direction, you may need to retool your website so it stays compelling.
Plan and Budget for Website Health
Whether you’re just starting a website, adding more content or looking to upgrade your existing site, it is vital to plan for the website’s continued maintenance. Who will you designate to maintain the website?
How often will you add content? Do you have writers and a fixed schedule to ensure you’ll keep fresh material in stock?
Most importantly, do you have money set aside to pay for maintenance, including new programs or upgrades that may be useful as your website grows and develops? You should set up a monthly operating budget that includes money for personnel, stock photos, hosting, and any outside help needed.
By planning for the long-term needs of your website, you can help it live a long and healthy life and return your investment.
Related posts:
