10 Simple Ideas for Content Updates to your Website
Guest blog by Samantha Lyth
Setting up a website can be a painful experience: by the time you have liaised with a designer, a copywriter, a photographer and the web builder, it inevitably takes much longer than you think to get it up and running.
You have worked really hard to make sure that it is perfect. Then you tick it off your to-do list and forget about it.
The problem is…. It might be perfect on the launch day, but information soon goes out of date. Without new content, a website can go stale and there is no reason for anyone to visit it. If information is inaccurate, it gives a bad impression to potential customers. In addition, even if your search engine optimisation was excellent at the start, with no relevant content your site may well fall down the ratings.
“But what can I change on my website” I hear you cry. Well, here are 10 simple ideas for content you can add to your website:
1. Testimonials
You can ask clients for testimonials or you can use ones that have been left on your Google My Business page, LinkedIn or FB and pop them on your website. Give a date so that site visitors can see that these are recent testimonials and not ones from when you launched your site in 2016!
2. Case Studies
People love stories and case studies are excellent ways to showcase what you do and the clients you work with. You will get plus points too from SEO as you will link to the clients’ website and they might even share it on their social media.
3. Blogs
How many times do you visit a website and check out their news/blog page and the only item there is “welcome to my new website.” If that is more than 6 months old it looks ridiculous. Writing a monthly blog or sharing your news is a great way to add new content. If you’re not sure what to write about, suggest someone write a guest blog for you or outsource the writing to a copywriter – they often see a story in the everyday work that you do.
4. Your team
Is your team up to date? Even if you are a sole trader you will probably outsource some of your work to other people such as an accountant or IT specialist. There is no reason why you can’t list them on your team page.
5. Events
Add your events, these don’t necessarily have to be ones you are organising. If you are going to a trade fair or Expo, put it on the site. If you go networking why not write something like “I go to x networking event every month, why not come and join me?”
6. Images
Images are really important on a site and if they have a relevant title and description can really help with SEO. Whilst free stock photos can be useful, nothing beats having the personal touch, so have some pictures of you and take photos when you are out and about. Alternatively take some flatlay photos, incorporating your branded business cards, leaflets, mug next to something that suggests your product and portrays your brand ethos.
7. Videos
A personal hate for me, but people love videos, they are a great way to share top tips or for you to interview people – an alternative to the written blog or case study.
8. New products
No business stands still and most of us are always developing new things that we can offer. Of course, many of us are service industries, so don’t have a physical product, but you could be doing something new in your profession, such as using new software or running new courses. These products may be in response to changes in legislation or just changes in demand. What you think your business is and what it becomes is often very different.
9. Prices
Check your prices frequently. How annoyed will potential customers be if your website says £50 and you charge £75 (apart from the fact it may be illegal)?
10. Opening Times
This has been something that was particularly changeable during lockdowns as Government legislation changed. For people who work from home, this might not be quite as important, but you may wish to manage customer expectations and state that you work regular office hours and will not be checking emails or social media requests outside that time. You need a life too.