5 Reasons to Update Your Website

The Internet is fast-moving. Speed may not sound relevant to the average business looking to create a website, but in fact looking fresh and current has incredible implications for these companies. The number of people plus speed, which drives this collective Internet space, means that in order to stay relevant as a business, it is imperative to keep up with what the Internet is doing. A successful business must look at how its services fit the needs of this new and changing digital world to ensure its success for the future.

1.  Trends Change – Don’t Get Left Behind
Part of the reason for updating a business website is to remain relevant in the digital age. While your business may have an incredible reputation in person, in print, and by word of mouth, that can easily be overlooked by a competitor that puts up a well-designed website advertising your same services. Ask yourself, “How are new clients going to find your business without digital presents?” If your site hasn’t been updated, if you don’t have a blog, or have no social connections, your digital credibility will suffer.

2.  Digital Image is the First and Most Prominent Image
While curb appeal may have little to do with the quality of a business or their services, it does drive clients to the neighboring competition. The same theory applies to websites. While people are attracted to beauty, they are also drawn to the simple and informative descriptions that describe how a business or service can make their lives easier.

3.  More is Not Always Better
The Internet’s expansive nature demand that content is strategic. More content is not necessarily better. After all, the more content there is on a website, the more content a business must update annually. Content goes out of date more quickly than we realize and a company must continue publishing new and informative content to remain an authority in their field, whether it is blogging material, videos, or visual design. The trick is being able to archive it.

4.  What is Your Competition Doing?
Many businesses choose to do an annual competitive analysis to keep track of their digital image. They look at the competitors that opened over the last year, which ones are successful and how their own business fits into a niche market. Look at these competitors as guides. Make this relationship work for your business and drive your website to reflect the passion you have for your work.

5 . Brand Evolution
Most importantly, the last thing to consider is that no one successful brand has ever been able to remain sedentary. In fact, if we look at brands today, it is not uncommon for them to change their look and update their brand promise every few years. They do this to remain relevant. They do it because they need to stay ahead of their competition that is always younger looking with fresh ideas. These brands update because they want to capture a broad audience in their messaging and their old way of communicating focused less on a certain group. Of course, they are always in a constant balancing act that relates lovingly to their loyal followers while also speaking to their new audience.

The Internet is a fast-moving place. It can be intimidating to change something like a website that acts as the first point of contact for a digital audience. But therein lies the excitement of the need to engage in an updating practice. As a business, you have the ability to change and update your online persona at almost any time. There is an incredible freedom that allows a business to connect with new people while also being more authentic and compelling. It’s a good time of year to check in with yourself, and it’s an excellent idea to make the changes you have been considering through the years.