The trees are blooming, the birds are singing, and the flowers are in bloom. It must be springtime! And with spring comes a time for renewal – a time to clean up our homes and yards and give them a fresh start. Just like our physical properties, our digital properties also need regular maintenance to keep them looking their best. Your website is one of your most important digital properties – it is often the first thing people see when they are researching your business or looking for information. In this article, we will discuss what is the difference between updating and refreshing your website, and what to consider when you are updating or refreshing your website.
Difference Between Updating & Refreshing Your Website
Updating your website means making changes to the existing content, structure, and design of your site. This could include adding new pages or blog posts, updating your company’s About Us page, or changing the color scheme of your site. Refreshing your website is a bit different – it generally refers to making more significant changes to the overall look and feel of your site. A refresh might involve redesigning your homepage, updating all of the imagery on your site, or changing the navigation. Sometimes a website update is all you need to give your site a fresh look and feel. Other times, you might need to do a full refresh. It really depends on how old your site is and what kind of condition it is in.
What to Consider When Updating/Refreshing Your Website
Redesign The Website Or A Page
If your website is more than a few years old, it is probably due for a redesign. A lot has changed in web design since your site was first built, and chances are good that your site could benefit from a fresh look. When you are ready to redesign your website, start by looking at other websites in your industry to get some inspiration. Note what you like and don’t like about other sites, and make a list of features you would like to include in your own redesign. Once you have an idea of what you want your new site to look like, reach out to a web designer or development team to get started on the project.
Audit Your Content
Over time, your website’s content can become outdated or inaccurate. If you haven’t reviewed your website’s content in a while, now is the time to do it. Start by looking at each page of your site and ask yourself if the information on that page is still accurate. If not, make the necessary changes to ensure that your content is up-to-date. You should also take this opportunity to review your website’s copy for grammar and spelling errors. Once you have updated your content, take a step back and look at the overall message you are trying to communicate with your website. Is there anything you can do to improve the way your message comes across?
Review Your Navigation
Your website’s navigation should be easy to use and intuitive. If your site’s navigation is confusing or difficult to use, people will likely leave your site without taking the time to figure it out. When you are reviewing your website’s navigation, ask yourself if it is easy to find what you are looking for. If not, make the necessary changes to improve the user experience. You should also consider whether or not your current navigation structure makes sense for the way people use your website. For example, if you have added new pages or blog posts since you last updated your navigation, be sure to add them to your menu so that people can easily find them.
Examine Your Call To Actions
Your website’s call to action (CTAs) are the buttons or links that you want people to click on when they visit your site. CTAs should be visible and easy to find, and they should lead people to the next step in your sales or marketing funnel. When you are reviewing your website’s CTAs, ask yourself if they are effective. Are they visible? Do they stand out from the rest of the content on your page? Do they lead people to where you want them to go? If not, make the necessary changes to improve their effectiveness.
Ensure Everything is Working
As you are reviewing your website, be sure to test all of the features and functionality to ensure that everything is working properly. This includes things like forms, contact information, links, and images. If something is not working correctly, fix it or remove it from your site.
Check Your SEO & Analytics
If you want people to find your website, you need to make sure that your site is optimized for search engines. This means using the right keywords and phrases in your content so that people can find your site when they are searching for the products or services you offer. You should also be tracking your website’s traffic with Google Analytics or another analytics tool so that you can see how people are finding and using your site. Reviewing your analytics will also give you insights into which pages on your site are performing well and which could use some improvement.
Update Keywords
As you are reviewing your website’s content, take the time to update your keywords and phrases to ensure that they are still relevant. You can use tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Moz Keyword Explorer to research new keywords and see how they can be used in your content.
Make Sure Everything is Up-To-Date
In addition to updating your content, you should also make sure that all of the other information on your website is up-to-date. This includes things like your contact information, company logo, social media links, and copyright date. If any of this information is out-of-date, it can make your website look unprofessional.
Create New Content
One of the best ways to refresh your website is to create new content. This could be in the form of blog posts, infographics, images, or videos. Adding new content to your site will give people a reason to come back and will help you attract new visitors.
Security
Another important consideration when refreshing your website is security. If your site was built more than a couple of years ago, it may not be as secure as it should be. Make sure that your site is using SSL encryption and that all of your software and plugins are up-to-date.
Mobile Friendly
In today’s world, it is essential that your website be mobile-friendly. This means that people should be able to easily view and use your site on their smartphones and tablets. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you could be missing out on a lot of traffic and potential customers. You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see if your site is mobile friendly and get tips on how to improve its design for mobile users.
Refreshing your website does not have to be a major undertaking. By taking the time to review your site and make sure everything is up-to-date, you can ensure that your website is looking its best. And, by creating new content and making sure your site is secure and mobile-friendly, you can attract new visitors and keep people coming back.So, what are you waiting for? Refresh your website with NetGain SEO today. Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help your website look and perform its best.