Why an effective website is never finished
As we work with clients on their websites, I often hear them say they want to ‘get it perfect’ now so they can move on to other things as they don’t want to have to revisit their website for a while. They think it’s a one-time deal and I’m here to tell you this is the wrong approach when it comes to your website. An effective website needs to grow and change and so, it can never truly be finished.
How do you view your website?
It’s been a goal of mine to change how business owners think about their website. Yes, I understand most other projects are 1-time deals and once they are completed, you can cross them off your list and go on to the next thing. I realize it’s a habit to think of your website the same way.
Many years ago when the Internet was in its infancy, we weren’t yet concerned with people finding us online Now, the Internet has evolved and grown to become a powerhouse people rely on every day to solve their problems and answer their questions.
Your website is your best employee
As the Internet changed, so did the average website but many business owners haven’t changed the way they think about their website. A website went from being a luxury item to being a necessity and from being a small part of your marketing to being the centerpiece of all your marketing.
Likewise, the amount of time and money spent on your website has (or should have) increased over the years as your website has grown in importance. Your website really is your best employee. It works 24/7, never calls in sick and is always there to give your customers and potential customers information. What more could you ask for?
Are you giving your website what it needs?
If we think of your website as your best employee, are you giving it everything it needs to do a great job? Probably not. If you haven’t updated your website in the past year, then you’re definitely not giving it what it needs.
As a business owner, you give your employees raises and provide ongoing training to keep them current on the latest advances in your industry but what about your website? Shouldn’t your website have the latest information about your products and services? Of course it should.
Keep your website up to date
While your website isn’t a person and you can’t literally give it a raise, you can invest time and money to keep the content current and add more information so that it becomes a better resource for potential customers.
Potential customers are online and they are actively looking for products and services they need so putting more content on your website acts as a magnet to attract their attention. Content can take many forms (blogs, white papers, videos, podcasts) and they are all effective in getting more traffic to your website.
Never stop working on your website
This is the key to having an effective website-never stop working on it. As the Internet and search engines are continually improving and doing more, so should your website. It’s like a race and if you stop, you’ll only get further behind. You have to keep running if you want to ‘stay in the race’ and have any chance of winning.
I haven’t even mentioned your competitors though you can bet most of them are investing in their website as they don’t want to be left behind either. Remember this rule-an effective website is never finished so make it a priority to continually evaluate it and look for ways it can be improved.
