Outdated content on your website: you’ve been meaning to get to it, but it just hasn’t happened yet.
Perhaps it’s the same way you feel about rearranging your cupboards, or that sock drawer, or maybe your toolbox. For some, updating outdated content on a business website is like garnering enthusiasm to wash your ceiling fans. For others, it’s like scratching an itch: you try to get to it, but you just can’t reach it. Or more frustratingly, maybe getting to that outdated content is a creative endeavor that you really look forward to, being champion of your own business and all, but there just isn’t time.
In any of these examples, you know that you will feel better — Accomplished! Fulfilled! Enlightened! — after you have finished what you have set out to do. The same goes with updating website content: Once you begin greasing the wheels of that content writing machine, you will gain momentum and traction, and you will find your rhythm. It takes effort and practice, but it can and will be done for the sake of your business.
Seeing is Believing
It doesn’t take long for visitors to tell that your website is out-of-date. They know it when they see it. If they are comparing you to another similar business or vendor, they will spend more time on your competitor’s website, especially if it has fresher, crisper content.
It’s true.
You know your content is outdated when:
- Your homepage says “New for 2018 …” but it is spring of 2020;
- The calendar of events page is empty, because all events are in the past;
- Blog posts are years old;
- Your “Check back often as our inventory is always changing” statement has been there for months, or you haven’t touched it since your last website redesign;
- The copyright year — the date which your website was last redesigned — noted at the bottom of your website is not at all recent. If you can see 2006 at the bottom of your webpage, so can your visitors and customers.
Make a Good Impression and Stay Up-to-Date
We know that it is really challenging to find time and energy (and sometimes extra funds) to update your website content, but it must be done. Your website is like a first impression every time a visitor goes to your site. Would you wear a dirty shirt to an interview? Would you carry outdated examples to a sales call? Would you hand out a crinkly business card with lines through old phone numbers or email addresses? We doubt it. The same goes for your website. If your website content is outdated, so is your business.
Four strategies you can use to keep your website up to date:
Delegate Responsibility
Make sure someone is responsible for keeping the website updated. Be specific about what that entails and write it into his or her job description. Make sure the necessary training is in place to quickly and consistently make changes on demand.
Hire a Virtual Assistant
Hire a virtual assistant (VA) to make changes when needed. If you are using WordPress, that is pretty easy since most VAs are familiar with this content management system (CMS). VAs work off of a retainer or on an as-needed basis. A retainer ensures that your cash outlay for the service never exceeds your agreement. Time tracking can get out of hand if not managed properly.
Facebook Integration
Use services that pull in information and integrate with your website so you don’t have to. This is a favorite strategy for those posting to Facebook. Facebook has made publishing content easy. If you are using it, why not pull that same content into your website?
Third Party Integration
If you use a party service to promote your products or services, there are ways to pull that data into your site automatically. Reuse what is already out there and avoid extra costs of a VA or web content provider.
We Have Tools When You Need Them
We’ve built integrations to help make your website stand out. The idea is to let the computers do the work and keep everything in sync. On top of that, all plans come with content support. If you need a new blog posted or a fancy gallery uploaded, just send us an email and we’ll take care of it for you.
Your website is your online business card. Keep it up-to-date.
