Is Your Website Updated For 2020?
Date: 2/21/2020

Businesses today need to build a strong digital presence if they want to market their brand successfully. However, a significant number of businesses tend to ignore the need to nurture and keep their digital store fronts updated. In the process businesses stand to lose out on lucrative business opportunities.

Maintaining your business website, however, is not rocket science. With a few regular updates and maintenance tips, your website can be up-to-date and secure at all times. Consider the following website updation and maintenance tips.

Visit your Website Regularly

If you run a brick-an-motor store, you probably run regular checks and audits to see if everything is in place and if your store is optimized for shoppers. Your website needs the same kind of attention. So make it a point to conduct regular checks of your website. Few things to consider.

How is the user experience? Does your site load quickly? How does it stack up against the competition? If you feel the design is outdated, then it probably is. If you feel that your current website content, logo, or design does not represent your brand in any way, or if your website fails to capture your branding narrative, then you might want to consider a new branding theme for your site.

Make a list of things you feel need to be changed and work on it.

Is your Content Up-to-date?

The content on your site is essentially what users interact with – so keeping it updated is necessary. If you feel you need to add new information or content vis-à-vis fresh article, an updated and current blog, updated site map, new service and products pages among other pages, then do it. Few other things to watch out for.

• Ensure you’re the images and videos you feature on your website are search engine friendly – this encourages search crawlers to quickly discover you and categorize your site.
• Update your site with social buttons – if you are no on a social platform, the make sure your drop that button from your site. Keeping on the topic of social, make sure you check in and keep social profiles that are tied to your website updated on a regular basis.
• Check for broken links – if links are outdated, or don’t work for any reason, correct it immediate.
• Keep information such as hours of operation, holidays, your physical store address and other relevant contact information updated at all times.
• If you feature reviews on your site, make sure that the reviews are among your most recent ones. You don’t want a visitor to find reviews that are a couple of years old – they could easily assume you haven’t gotten a review since then!
• Do you have an events calendar? If yes, then update it regularly. Drop events and dates that have already passed.

Technical Updates

UX (user-experience) is a major factor not just for users and visitors to your site, but also for search engines such as Google. So factors such as your load-speed, responsive design, original content, security features (certificates), SEO trends and strategies employed, outdated plugins on your site, among a variety of other such considerations should be a matter of priority. Seek professional advice and help if you feel you need help with updating the technical aspects of your website.

Website Security

Last but not the least, secure your site against cyber threats. This will require some time and attention, and monetary investment – however, given the risks the malware and virus attacks as well as identify/data thefts pose, you cannot afford to ignore website security. Again, if you are not technically inclined, then it is best to seek professional advice in this matter.