6 Quick ways to breathe new life into your website (+why it’s so important!)
Star Castle Studio provides artful entrepreneurs and makers with tips and custom-created visuals needed to beautifully run a professionally branded business and make an unforgettable impression online.
Every website out there needs a little dusting off now and again.
No matter how beautiful your site may be, your business can be seen as unprofessional, unreliable and outdated simply by ignoring the need to update. Here are some of the key reasons it's absolutely crucial you're checking in on your website and continuing to update, long after launch.
An outdated website shows complacency, tone deafness, and an over all unprofessional approach. Think about the government-run websites we've all had to begrudgingly visit in the past. It's painfully obvious that many of those sites were last updated back in the 90s. The outdated interface doesn’t fill you with trust and a feeling that the task ahead is going to be an easy one, does it?
No business wants to be seen as 'behind the times' or worse, totally irrelevant.
That's why it's so important to go look at your website and see what needs to be refreshed. Even if it's just a minor dusting.
A website needs to be rejuvenated from time to time. Like a field needs to be tilled for plants to grow, you have to go through and sift the content around to readjust your message and process to the times. Adapting in an ever changing environment can be exhausting, but it's an inevitable part of the process.
So how exactly do you do it?
1. Improve the User Experience
Not sure where to start? Look at sites you often frequent as a consumer and take notes on what you find helpful or impactful to your browsing experience. See if you can integrate similar concepts to improve your own site. Be careful not to get shiny object syndrome when doing this, but rather objectively notice what will improve your user experience and find a way to incorporate it into your site.
2. Up-to-date Alignment
Consider your website as a virtual business card. As a professional business owner, you wouldn't dream of handing out an outdated business card with inaccurate information or an old logo, so be sure you're not doing that on your website. Keeping things fresh and up-to-date online establishes your business as active and flourishing.
Shifting into a new market, pivoting your business to serve a different audience, or even simply changing your process or the way you do business are all crucial times to double check that your website directly reflects these changes.
3. Freshen up your Visuals
Start by self-checking your website.
Are there any inconsistencies that immediately pop out at you, maybe in comparison with your someplace you've been consistently showing up, like on social media? Your website directly represents your brand. Upscale or out-of-date, a website is viewed as a snapshot of your current state of business. Is that snapshot accurate, or in desperate need of a reshoot?
A quick way to upgrade your look is to incorporate some fresh graphics.
While maintaining the style of your unique brand, add in a few new icons, or implement new patterns/textures. This alone can do leaps and bounds for revitalizing your website. Pushing a particular product or service? Highlight that on your homepage, or sprinkle in some custom illustrations to draw attention to what you want people to see. Gained a new team member? Plan a photoshoot to take an updated group shot. Make sure your website is truly capturing the current phase of your business.
4. Stay relevant by staying consistent.
In our ever-changing world, it can feel intimidating to remain relevant as an online business. The first step? Consistency. Continuing to show up online allows your business to form strong relationships with your audience. Just like a friendship may fade away if you don't check in every now-and-again, the same can be said for the potential of an interested client / consumer.
You have to remain top-of-mind, and you need to remain in-touch with the current times. (We've all seen those tone-deaf ads during the recent quarantine, and many people have associated those brands with being out of touch with their consumers... not a good look). In order to develop a consistently strong brand presence, it's important to show that your business truly understands your audience and their current struggles.
5. New Content + Bonus SEO boost!
By continuing to update your website with current information, popular tips, etc. you're repeatedly putting your brand out there. This will keep your voice heard among the din of competitors that are either barely making the cut or are doing the bare minimum to keep their websites applicable. Plus, the act of posting new content regularly organically boosts your SEO (search engine optimization) and can bump you higher up in search rankings, making your business even easier to find online.
If you're a product-based business, add a new item to the shop every once and awhile (even if it's an item you've had before) to prevent things from getting stale. If you run a service based business, be sure to add new testimonials and feedback as they come in to show what you’ve been up to and what can be expected from you. And don't forget to continually update your portfolio with examples of your newer work! (Something many of us, myself included, tend to neglect this while focusing on client work!)
6. Showcase your growth!
Keeping your material fresh shows that your business is continuing to move forward and flourish. Be sure to check-in regularly and give yourself the grace to overhaul, rearrange, or simply dust-off as needed to keep things current and aligned with your brand.
One of the best things about websites is they are fluid and ever changing. Remember, it's not a monument built from stone. Your website should change and adapt as your business continues to grow!!
Eager to upgrade your website?
I've worked with many clients on taking their pre-existing Squarespace website to the next level! Get in touch and let's see how we can transform your site into a beautifully branded tool that works for your business!
