Is A Website Ever Finished?

July 27, 2012

The website is up!  It feels like a huge victory after a long redesign process, but it’s not the end of your new website’s development – in fact it’s just the beginning.

Ongoing content updates are critical to the success of your website, because fresh content not only improves the user experience, it can also help your search engine rankings. Here are some quick tips on how content updates can keep your website current, relevant, and connected:

Keep it Current – It may seem obvious, but all too often organizations neglect to keep their website current. Websites can be updated nearly instantaneously whereas print literature or other traditional advertising materials take time and money to update. For manufacturers, keeping product specifications, pricing, images and descriptions up to date on your website is paramount, because your site serves as a resource for both your distributors and the end purchaser of your product. For retailers, it’s important to have current hours of operation, locations, specials and product lines on your site.

Keep it Relevant – Users expect new content and are seeking out the next “cool” thing to share with their friends and colleagues. Content including infographics, videos, lists, and photos are highly shareable. Creating interesting new content is at the core of link attraction because if highly ranked sites are linking to content on your site, your search rankings and your traffic will improve. Assume your competitors are constantly updating their sites; don’t let them pass you in search rankings while you let your website stagnate.

Keep it Connected – Integrating your social media efforts into your website is a great way to encourage visitors to interact with your brand. There are many ways to keep your site connected, from simple social media icon links to including Twitter or Facebook feeds or a blog on your site. To effectively engage users you need to provide unique content on a regular basis and deliver your content via the appropriate social network channels. Your website functions as the central hub for this online engagement so cross-linking is vital.

Actively updating your website is important, but you need to have the right tools or skills to do it. If you are lucky enough to have a website designed using a content management system (CMS), you and your team can update your site without knowing code. Most CMS sites include templates and formatting that will keep your site look consistent while allowing you to update and add text, change or include new images, or add new pages to your site.

While there is much you can do on your own with a CMS, there are some functions and additions to your site that may require professional help. Fresh Creative offers a broad range of web development services including social media integration, ecommerce solutions, and modules like dealer locators or product configuration tools that can help you keep your site up to date and up to speed with your organization’s goals. Your website might be ‘done’, but a successful site is never ‘finished’!

 

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