Regular Website Maintenance

Mar 11th, 2010 5:03 pm

So you have a website. Now what? I hear it all the time: "I know my website needs to be updated, but I don't know what to do." Your website is often times the first impression customers get of your company. If your website is old, has dated information or pictures, or just doesn't even look usable, you can drive people away.

One of the easiest and most obvious ways to keep your website updated is by having a "Latest News" section. Here you can announce special events, promotions, new products, new/retiring employees, trade shows you may be attending, celebrate your upcoming "XXth" anniversary, or anything else your company may be doing in the community. Even if your company isn't doing anything news-worthy, you can post a thank you or testimonial, or even plug a partner company. Who knows, they might even return the favor on their website. If your company has frequent events, try updating once a week. If you're having trouble keeping up, just post something once a month. If you really can't come up with something, a generic "Happy St. Patrick's Day" can keep your website content looking fresh. Just remember to update it after the holiday has come and gone.

Another way to keep your website content fresh is to post a blog. It may be time consuming, but depending on what your company does, it could be an important platform to get information to your client base. Setting up a blog is incredibly easy. There are a multitude of blogging interfaces out there, including Blogger and Wordpress. If you're interested in seamlessly integrating your blog into your website, you can talk to your favorite web developer, and be blogging in no time. Blog once a week, once a month, or even once a quarter - just get blogging. By having a place to talk about common questions, issues, or news in your industry, people will no where to turn when they have questions. You can also encourage your customers to subscribe to your RSS feed, so they don't actually have to go to your website to read your latest blog post.

If you're already e-mailing monthly or weekly newsletters, consider publishing the newsletter on your website as well. That way, you can also encourage users to sign up for your newsletter, or subscribe to an RSS feed of your newsletter. Newsletters are a great way to keep an open communication with your customers, so even if they aren't in the market for your service at the moment, when the opportunity does arise, your company will be the first thing they think of.

Another way to update your website that is often overlooked is to simply update the pictures on the website. Be it by taking new pictures of your building, employees, or products, or by finding new stock photography, new photos can breathe new life into your website, even if the content is the same.

If your website is difficult to update - or you don't even know how to go about updating it - it may be time to contact your web developer. Web updates can be as simple or as extensive as you want. And, if you want to be able to make these changes yourself, consider a custom content management system, where editing information is as simple as writing an e-mail; and adding new pictures is as easy as uploading an attachment.

If you want to learn more about how to breathe new life into your website, contact us here at Avallo. We have the resources, knowledge, and experience to get people to your website. And with Avallo Panel, you can easily make changes to your entire website in just minutes.