The importance of updating your website

As I tinkered with the In The Know website and wondered what I could change about the Novus site, I casually glanced over the websites Novus has built for people (of which I'm a contributor).

My first thought was, 'Wow, it's been a while since there was any activity on some of these sites - some haven't even had the time to put out a blog in over a year!’

Many companies and businesses think that once their site is loaded, that's it, they don't need to do anything else to it. They believe it will simply sit there and bring in business, or it quickly becomes less of a priority within their business, despite its power to bring in new custom. Whilst 'juggernaut businesses', which already have a name and brand recognition, can afford to pay little attention to their sites for a short while, because of the other marketing activities they have in place, Trudy and her tiny-nail-bar-cum-hair-salon has to be more proactive.

Actually, juggernaut companies don't sit on their laurels. We can guarantee that they will have a site update at least once every three months, in a bid to improve layout, to get rid of pages or content that don't/doesn't work, and even to take advantage of any technological leaps related to the software they use.

Online website builders, such as Wix.com and Squarespace, constantly update their site editors. You may find a function that you ‘wished’ was on the editor was actually added two months ago, or that the ‘Mega Menu’ that took you days to code is now a standard feature, making future editing even easier.

In an age where we access software through subscription models (we're looking at you, Adobe and Microsoft) we no longer have to rely on outdated programs. We don't rely on ‘Microsoft Word 97’ and ‘Photoshop 5’ to undertake word processing or photo editing anymore - and if you do, your days in business are probably numbered.

So, why bother commissioning a website in the first place, if you're just going to have it sit there and not update it? Why not explore how your site could work better for you and how it could bring in more business? Get in touch with your web developer and ensure that your site is up-to-date. Just asking them to update how your menu appears could give your site a newer, fresher look than before...and you know how much Google loves sites that are continually updated.

Would your website benefit from an overhaul? Would you like a more professional web presence? Call 07983 575934 or contact us here