Why You Should Update Your Website Content

And a Few Tips To Revamp Your Site

Your website may have a great design concept and a good amount of copy, but if your content is not up-to-date, it may be a huge waste of time and money. It’s important to keep your website current with refreshed content as much as possible. Rewriting old pages, adding new pages and adding blog posts are essential for attracting new clients. If your content has not been updated in over three years, your business may be perceived as not keeping up with the latest trends. 

Prospective clients visiting your site may also question if you are still in business if your pages seem old and outdated. As a rule, you should keep your content updated every year or every couple of years. If possible, blog posts should be added at least a couple of times a week or up to a few times a month.

There are certain rules that you should follow in updating content to ensure that your site not only has a significant impact on your audience, but also brings in more clientele for your business.

How Much New Content is Needed?

The more content you have, the better. The focus should be on quality above quantity. New and refreshed content is only effective if your audience finds the information on your site insightful and valuable in the long run.

One thing to consider when deciding on content length is the audience that you are writing for. Depending on the topic, updated content may require more words to get the point across, while other times only a few select words may be needed. You might leave the audience feeling cheated with less content, but if you use too many words it will detract from the essential information.

You should keep content short and concise. Aim for content that is between 800-1000 words in length, whether it is a blog post, a web page or an article. 

The 80/20 Rule for Adding Content

A good rule of thumb for writing effective content is to follow the 80/20 rule. Twenty percent of your web copy should be sales-focused, with effective search keywords that include local geography or office locations as well as links to services or products. Your content should include specific calls to action. Your main goal for adding additional content is to convince the audience that your business offers the best services and products out of thousands that perform a similar service.

80% of your content should contain web copy that is informative and helpful. You want potential clients to understand the content without overwhelming them with too many complex terms or business-related jargon.  Keep the language simple, readable and to the point.

Additional tips for writing business content:

• Add searchable keywords in web page titles, headings and links

• Use bullet points and numbered lists, fonts, or highlight text in bold, italics, or underline for emphasis

• Use a conversational tone of voice instead of a formal tone of voice

• Keep paragraphs short

Keeping Your Search Engine Optimization Fresh

When using SEO, quality is preferred over quantity. If you fill up your page with a bunch of low quality content that is stuffed with keywords, it will not draw the audience you want to have. If your website is updated often with valuable and useful information, your business page will have better chance of Google ranking your website higher each time content is refreshed.

Another thing to remember is when updating content, it that your business website will contain more keywords. The more frequently your site is updated, the more frequently the search engine will direct visitors to your website. 

Your SEO perimeters will change once you refresh content on your site. If you are consistently generating new content, search engines will recognize the new web pages more frequently during search results and your business will have a higher ranking with search engines like Google.

Updating Your Web Design

Not only does the content on your site need to be refreshed, but your site’s web design should be updated as needed.  When visitors look at your web page, the design chosen reflects on your business and brand. You need to have a look and a design that is unique and is visual appealing so it will make your business stand out from the competition.

For example, if your site is professional looking with an updated design, people will see you as an expert in your field. If the site is designed poorly and out of style, a potential client may make the same assumptions about your company. The website layout should be harmonious and consistent, while also showcasing the services and products that you offer.

It is also important for your new web design to include the latest up-to-date technology. An example of an updated technique is the use of responsive web design. Responsive web design allows a website to flex and adapt to the size of screen that a person is viewing the content on, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Your site should also include the latest trends in coding and photography. 

Overall, the goal is to have a site that is easy to read and easy to navigate. A high bounce rate is a sign of a low performing site. Most users will leave a site without visiting other pages because they are unable to find what they are looking for right away, or the site does not have the right look and feel.  Another thing to consider is that your content should not take a lot of time to load or visitors may get frustrated and navigate away from your site.

Including Blog Posts and Backlinks

Including blogs on your website is an important way to add content, and regular blog posts should be included as part of a content refresh.  Whether it is you or a guest blogger that adds new information, including blogs can help build authority and credibility for your business. Visitors to your site will believe that you are not only knowledgeable about your niche, but it will entice them to purchase the goods and services that you offer.

Building blogs through new content can have a significant impact on SEO. Once you have established that you are an industry expert, other websites may be likely to share links and posts from your web page directly, which are also known as backlinks. Not only does a backlink help you with your Google ranking, but it invites more traffic to your business website. With backlinks, again, quality should be over quantity.  When you do add bad quality backlinks to your website, it hurts your Google search ranking and destroy the credibility of your company.

Include Client Testimonials

Including client testimonials is a good way of adding fresh content to your site, especially if you have a big customer base and you have received positive feedback about former clients. Not only is this a great way of refreshing your web copy, but positive feedback looks great to new customers.

Branding

Updating your web content provides an excellent platform to continue advertising and promoting your brand. Online branding requires a continuous effort and adding new content will greatly improve the chances of your website’s popularity.

Adding new content that includes the latest information about your company and your brand is crucial for attracting more customers and drawing in more business. The new content on your site is also a reflection of your brand and its principles. You want your brand to stand out and make a statement.

Keeping Your Customers and Clients Informed

In addition to building a clientele for your business, it is very important to keep your customers updated by posting fresh web content regarding the latest trends in your marketplace or industry. Your clients need to know the benefits and what is special about your specific products or services, which helps them make informed decisions regarding selecting your business over your competitors.

Using Social Media

Using social media to draw attention to your business, promote your content and generate traffic is the best marketing tool available to bring in more revenue. For the best results, any updated content should be promoted through social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+.