Your business is continually evolving and growing over time. Your website reflects your business – the products or services you sell, the brand you are and what you represent. Your website is a powerful and dynamic tool that can, and should, adapt and expand as your business does. If it doesn’t, your business is missing out on fruitful opportunities.
In this blog, we’ll discover ways in which your website can evolve as your business changes and grows. But first, let’s find out how often you should update your website and why it’s important to do so.
How often should you update your website?
It’s important to regularly update, refresh and change your website. An old, outdated website serves no purpose for your business and may even be a hinderance. You should review your website content at least twice a year and update anything that needs updating but you should also be keeping your website up to date as the year goes on. For example, you should automatically update your website if you have a staff member join (or leave) the business and you should be adding new testimonials as often as possible. Further, almost every business would benefit from the addition of a regular blog which should be added to at least once per month to see the benefit. The website itself should also be reviewed and upgraded when necessary. We recommend a full website revamp every 2-3 years if you have a template website whilst bespoke websites should last 5-6 years, depending on design and functionality.
Why is it important to update your website regularly?
The benefits of updating your website regularly include:
- Improved user experience
By updating your website regularly, users will want to keep coming back and engaging with you as they enjoy their experience. There will be fresh, relevant content that addresses their problems and positions your products or services as the solution in the present moment. There will be no outdated content that serves no purpose to them in the here and now. Adding fresh content to your website regularly has the added benefit of making Google happy, boosting your SEO efforts.
With old and outdated websites, you may also have security issues. Updating the website’s software and plugins regularly helps to keep it secure and gives users an enhanced, worry-free experience.
- Website speed
Website design and technology is a fast-paced industry. Integrating the latest technology into your website means that it may slow down over time. By regularly monitoring and updating your website, you can keep on top of things and make sure your website is still able to manage the advances in technology. If it takes longer than 2 or 3 seconds for a page to load, it’s time to review.
- Competitive advantage
Keeping your website fresh and relevant could mean you gain an advantage over competitors who have an outdated and tired website. People love to engage with modern and contemporary assets and old outdated things tend to get overlooked.
Now that you know how often to update your website and why it’s important to do so, let’s find out how to adapt and change your website as your business evolves.
How to adapt and change your website as your business evolves
Your website should have enormous potential to scale and change as you want it to. As your business grows and changes, so too can your website. You can always keep improving it, changing it and adding to it to showcase what you do. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Brand refresh
Sometimes a business outgrows its brand. Creating a new one does not necessarily mean you will need a new website to match. In fact, your existing website may be the ideal place to communicate a brand refresh for your business. Update your website with your new logo and colour scheme. You may also want to review your images choices and your content as well. Your website should always reflect your brand’s identity and values in the present moment.
Showcase new products or services
As your business grows and evolves, so too may the products or services you offer. Be sure to showcase any new offerings by adding to the catalogue you already have and creating dedicated product or service pages for them. You should also consider other methods of showcasing these such as banner graphics, slideshows or widgets. WEBPRO can help talk you through the options available.
Expand your target audience
If your target audience has expanded or shifted, your website is the ideal place to hook this new audience. Create tailored content that’s targeted to this new audience and address the problems they may face and why your products or services are the solution. If your target audience has shifted considerably, you may also need to consider what other changes you may need to incorporate to attract this new group.
Add case studies to your website
This is a fantastic way to show how your business has helped past clients with the products or services you offer. It’s a unique way of showcasing happy clients and providing engaging content to your prospective clients to get their interest. Showcase your most successful case studies to add a unique element to your website. Stories sell, so it should help you gain new opportunities if done right.
Use the latest technology for your website
By incorporating technology such as AI tools like chatbots, within reason, you’re staying relevant to the changing market trends that people are drawn to. People love using the latest technology so use it in your website, where relevant, and reap the benefits of it for your business.
Integrate your website with other marketing opportunities
When you started out you may not have had social media platforms for your business. Maybe now you do. Make sure your social media platforms are linked from your website and vice versa to give you access to more client opportunities. Your website is also the ideal place to capture email addresses and grow your subscriber list.
WEBPRO offers a bespoke website design service that can adapt and change as your business evolves. Contact us now to find out more.
Recap: Your website is a powerful digital tool that can, and should, adapt to your changing business needs over time. You should update your website with fresh content regularly and a complete website redesign should be considered every 2-3 years depending on your website. This will give you a competitive edge and give users a better experience on your website. There are many ways to adapt your website as your business evolves and the best ones will depend on how your business has changed since you first got your website and what your plans are for the future.
WEBPRO knows
94% of people’s first impressions about a website relate to design. Make a good first impression on your website visitors by paying attention to this and updating it when needed.
