Does Your Virtual Appearance Need A Facelift?
It used to be enough just to have a website, but expectations and devices have evolved at a rapid pace so that brochure-like website you built ten years ago simply won’t cut it anymore. It probably won’t look very good on a mobile device. And what about those colors that were all the rage back in 2006? Has your marketing focus shifted? Has your company direction changed? Is that mission statement still ringing true?
Now is the time to take a fresh look at your web presence. Here are some elements to review:
Design specs. Today’s websites are developed using responsive design, meaning they are designed to shift based on the device that is being used by the viewer. Rather than having hard-coded fields in a fixed position, these newer websites optimize the size and placement of different components for individual devices. Ask your web developer if these principles have been applied to your site, or just try accessing your site from your phone. Does it appear as a tiny, unreadable version of your standard website? If so, it is time for an update.
Content. Have you kept the content on your website updated? Are new blog posts and articles added on a regular basis? If not, and if you don’t have time to write the content yourself, you might want to consider getting some outside help. Hire a copywriter to help you refresh your articles and blog posts. Also, consider trimming down the amount of copy on your site. In today’s world, people have short attention spans, so less is more when it comes to content.
Social media links. Your website should connect to standard social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In at a minimum. Ask your web developer to add social media toolbars to each page of your website. If you are using WordPress or other content management systems, ask them to locate plugins for this purpose.
Email capture. Make sure you have a place to capture email contact information so you have a way to notify current and prospective customers when you have news, events, or special pricing.
Contact information. Do you have a Twitter handle listed on your contact page? Do you really need to make that Fax number so prominent on the page?
Tone. Does your tone still reflect the personality of your business? You might have changed the makeup of the business over time. If so, you want the website to reflect the voice of your team in an authentic way.
Images. Check the photos and illustrations on your site. Make sure there are no conflicts with the messages or images that have become outdated or irrelevant. (Does that cellphone look like it came from the dark ages? Is that computer monitor taking up half of the desk? Is that copy talking about modems?)
Bios. Review these on a regular basis for employee updates, and be sure to look for information that can become dated. (Instead of, “John has been an employee for XX years”, say, “John has been with the company since xxxx.” This sentence structure will never go out of date.)
Colors. That shade of green might have seemed like a good idea when you first created your website, but color palettes change over time. Consider getting a designer’s opinion about how you might add new life to your website wallpaper. Be sure, however, to stay consistent with your corporate colors.
To keep your customers and prospects engaged with your website, you need to keep it vibrant and fresh, both visually and through content. Ultimately, your website, like all other forms of communication, should represent your company—it should give your visitors a sense of what to expect when they walk through the doors of your office. You also want it to be memorable enough that they are willing to share a link to it with everyone they know.