Why You Should Always Be Updating
The lights are turned off and the door is locked.
When I visit a site that hasn’t been updated in a year (or more), that’s what I assume. Or I make leaps that are possibly even more damning, pegging the person as not caring, unprofessional, or someone who starts things and doesn’t finish them. This is not the person you want to be, because it will win you few fans and even fewer return visitors to your web site.
You are probably thinking to yourself, but I did everything right. I got a professional company to design a great looking website and did some SEO work to help make sure I had the right focus and content. But it just isn’t producing like I expected.
The problem is a common one. I call it the “build it and leave it” disorder. You work really hard at creating a beautiful and engaging website, but then get busy and move on to other things letting your website dwindle and lose its luster.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
When I visit a site that was updated last week – even if it’s simply a “Hey, just checking in to let you guys know what I’m up to” sort of thing – I immediately know this company or organization is engaged and current. Even if they don’t have any huge news or announcements, I’ll probably make a mental note to check back with them in the future. Keeping your website fresh is a key factor in attracting new customers – and keeping existing ones.
The more content you have on your website, the more likely you are to increase your search engine rankings. But how can you avoid overdoing it? The key is to adding content that is relevant to your customers and to your industry. Take interest in your website, write about it, add new pictures, optimize it to be fast and secure. These are all things that will help you get discovered and keep getting noticed.