Is your website fresh and up-to-date?

Having just launched our fresh new website I thought it a perfect opportunity to talk about the importance of keeping your own website fresh and up-to-date.

With so much competition out there on the Internet are you aware of what your competitors are doing online? Have you sat down recently and had a good look at your own website and compared it to others?

With Australia having one of the highest levels of Internet usage in the world many of us turn to online sources to look for, research and compare products and services. With so many choices available to us at the click of a mouse the old saying "you can't judge a book by it's cover" doesn't apply online. You have seconds to get the attention of visitors to your site before the lose interest and go somewhere else.

Things you should be looking at when review your website are:

• does it look visually appealing?
• does it accurately represent your brand?
• does it match all of your other branded material (letterhead, business cards, brochures)?
• does it look professional?
• does it provide the information that your potential customes will want?

Answer these questions about your own website and then do the same with some of your competitors. Review their sites as a consumer, and when looking at their site ask yourself:

• do they seem like a serious business?
• can you find the information about their products and services that you want?
• if you were in the market for their product or service would be make contact with them?

If you answered yes to the first lot of questions about your site then fantastic you've got a great website. If you answered no then perhaps it is time to review, refresh and update.

If you answered yes to the second set of questions then how does that compare to your site? Are you in the same league?

Websites, like all aspects of your business, are not a develop and forget kind of thing. They need attention, updating and reviewing constantly. We're no longer in the time where simply having a website meant you were ahead of your competitors - these days you need to have the best website you can.

Article: How to Make the Web Work for Your Business in 5 Steps

I was reading an article this morning on one of my favourite small business websites about making your website work for you in 5 steps. Most of what is talked about in this article is what I say to my clients, so there is nothing new, but it does a great job of outlining the step you can take to make your site work for you, and well worth a read. Pop over to Freelance Switch to read in detail about their 5 steps:

• Get a Decent Website
• Stick to the Message
• Embrace Keyword Advertising
• Learn About Social Networking
• Track Your Results
• Have Fun With It

Static Yellow Pages ad or Dynamic Website?

The other day someone turned up on my door step to deliver the Yellow Pages directory. Personally I feel that printed phone directories these days are a waste of paper and a waste of money for Sensis to produce them. I can't recall the last time I opened a phone book to look for a number, years I would think. These days I, like many people go straight to Google and search for what I need. It got me thinking though...

Why do people still spend thousands of dollars on a Yellows Pages ad every year? Things in business change so often and quickly that a static ad that you place now is not necessarily relevant or correct in 6, 8 or 10 months time, but you're stuck with it. For around the same amount of money you can get yourself a new website that can reach more people (potential customers) and allow you to update it when ever you want. Maybe you have introduced new products, maybe you want to sell online, or maybe you just want to update the message you portray to your customer. With Australia being one of the biggest users of the Internet, and having one of the highest penetration of Internet use per head of population you're crazy not to have a website.

More Content

Yes thats right, this is the second post on content in a row. Why I hear you ask? Well simply, content is one of the most important aspects about your website. Without good, appropriate and compelling content (especially on your home page) you're not going to entice visitors to stay on your website.

Here are some tips for making your home page content work:

• DO make it blatantly obvious what your website is about
• DO set the theme and tone for the rest of your website
• DO tie your layout with your call to action
• DO make website's homepage text easy to scan
• Do make it a cinch to contact you
• DON’T make me think
• DON’T try to promote everything
• DON’T have a Flash spectacular as your homepage
• DON’T scare the wits out of your visitors with music
• DON’T use images that take an age to load

These tips were taken from an article on the Flying Solo website. You can read the full article here.

Content, Content, Content

The content of your website might appeal in different ways (or not) to different people. Having content on your website that appeals to your target audience is one of the most important aspects of your website. If someone visits your website and the content (especially on the home page) does not grab them and tell them what they want to know, they'll leave. This could result in lost business for you.

Visitors to your website also like content that is updated on a regular basis (blogs are good for this). Updated conent will keep people coming back to your website, and while they may not become a customer after their first visit, by keeping them coming back again, and again, they may become a customer in the future. Keeping visitors coming back to your site is called "website stickiness".

Some content types that you might want to consider for your website are:

• Blogs
• Testimonials
• Product Reviews
• Competitions
• News Feeds
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

Many people don't like writing, or feel that they aren't good at it. If that sounds like you never fear! There are professional Copy Writers who specialise in writing content for the web that is carefully worded to entice visitors to your website and provide them with the information they are looking for, and to convert them into customers.

Have a look at your website as if you are a potental client looking for information on your products and services, and see whether or not your content is up-to-scratch. Once you've done that do the same on the websites of your competitors, and compare. Which website provides the information you are looking for?