Reasons why you should update your website frequently
18 November 2022. minute read
So you've just launched a brand-new website with all the bells and whistles - a stunning web design, optimised UX, and fantastic content.
So you've just launched a brand-new website with all the bells and whistles - a stunning web design, optimised UX, and fantastic content. That's great, but maintaining a strong internet presence requires more than that. Actually, this is just the beginning.
Businesses frequently invest in a brand-new website design just to abandon it after a short period of time.
"We can just leave our website running and watch the leads come in, right? It looks amazing."
Wrong
Maintaining your website is essential if you want to preserve your brand's reputation and make sure that clients continue to use you. You're doing yourself a disservice if you leave it out of your marketing strategy.
1. Optimization
The most obvious justification for maintaining an updated website is for optimization. This encompasses elements like the speed at which a website loads and broken links, both of which can make or break the user experience.
Any given web page should load in between one and two seconds on average. Anything longer than 4 and your visitor is probably going to give up and go to a rival website. Additionally, this has a detrimental impact on your site's SEO, which we'll cover more in-depth later.
Broken links are comparable in this regard. It's not good for your brand if a visitor clicks a link and ends up on a 404 page on your website.
But how do I optimize my website?
To make sure that your website is performing at its best, keep a watch on the following crucial factors (at the very least):
a) Image size
Frequently, slow website loading times are caused by large photos or graphics. Prior to submitting photographs to your website, always make sure they are compressed (we advise keeping file sizes to no more than 500kb).
b) Broken links
As previously stated, nothing is more frustrating than a potential client clicking on a link to your website only to be met with a big fat 404 Error. When you remove a page from your website, make certain that no internal links still point to it. It's also a good idea to check that no third-party websites are pointing to it.
c) Mobile responsiveness
Did you know that up to 70% of your visitors may be using a mobile device to access your website?
Given that most websites are built for desktops, it's easy to overlook the mobile experience (what is an AMP? you ask).
However, because mobile phones account for a large portion of website traffic, it's critical to consider how your website looks on a mobile device to ensure users have the same quality of experience as they would on a desktop or laptop.
A good web design firm will have considered this during the design process, but it's important to remember, especially if you're adding pages or uploading new content in-house.
d) JavaScript and CSS files
CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files should be reduced to ensure faster page loading, and there are numerous tools available to assist you with this. Similarly, removing unnecessary code will improve page speed - though if you aren't familiar with this, we recommend consulting a web developer for assistance.
2. Maintain Security
Security is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of website maintenance, but it is the most important. If your website is built on a CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress (which many are), you must ensure that you are up to date on software patches and security updates as they are released, or your data will be vulnerable to hackers.
3. Maintain your Brand’s Credibility
Finally, your website will determine how your audience perceives you.
It may seem obvious, but simple things like keeping your company information up to date will illustrate to visitors that you are a credible business. For example, if the copyright year on your website's design shows 2019 - a potential customer would be forgiven for thinking your company is no longer in business.
Always keep your contact/company information and other time-sensitive content, such as your Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, up to date.
4. Maintain Your Relevance in a Competitive Environment
Every business has rivals. Your competitors will be thinking of new ways to attract and retain your audience if you aren't.
When it comes to visitor retention, user experience is critical; therefore, it is best practise to constantly review it. Is there a more concise way to present your information to convey your message more quickly? How long does it take visitors to find the information they seek?
Web designers and marketers are constantly devising new ways to improve the user experience. This could be accomplished through new ways of displaying content (such as video or animation), software integrations, or even new ways of displaying Calls to action.
In a digital age where instant results are pretty nearly expected, trying to incorporate different additions into your web design enables you to keep your brand at the forefront.
5. Increase your website's authority and traffic.
Are you using your website to engage with your target audience on a regular basis and provide them with useful information about your product/service?
This can take the form of blog posts, case studies, or product videos, but it also applies to your page content.
Consistently publishing relevant and high-quality content will help you keep and even improve your search engine optimization, which is how you rank on search engines like Google and Yahoo. Similarly, a website with outdated content and broken links will have the opposite effect.
Interested in working with Diginow? Drop us a line at hello@diginow.co.uk.
We are a Creative Web Design Agency London & Leicester, specialising in Bespoke Website Design, Web Development, Branding and Digital Marketing.