Ahhh, spring is finally in the air! While we welcome the fresh flowers, friendly chirping of birds and lush greenery back into our lives, there is one tedious chore that comes with this season: spring cleaning. No, we’re not talking about ridding your home of all the dust and stuffy air that built up over the winter months; we’re talking about sprucing up your website (however, we recommend doing the “old-fashioned” spring cleaning, too).
Much like our homes after a long, dreary winter, websites can become stale, boring and outdated. Don’t let your website turn away your visitors; it’s time to roll up those sleeves and freshen up your website. Below is your guide to your website spring cleaning list:
1. Take a fresh look at your website from your customers’ point of view.
Your website’s homepage is the window into your business. Even if your business isn’t brick-and-mortar, you would never allow the floors to get dirty or have a funky smell. The same principles apply to your website, but it’s a matter of asking the right questions. Ask yourself these questions (but not limited to the following):
- What does this home page say about my business? Is it cluttered or unclear what my business provides?
- Is my website navigation easy to navigate? Are all the necessary components of my site visible and easy to find?
- Is my messaging clear to my visitors? Am I driving my visitors to find out more about my business or am I scaring them away/boring them?
- How does my site look on other devices such as phones and tablets?
- Would I want to do business with my business based on this website?
These questions, and others, will help you get a better idea of how to update your website to be the most effective. If you find yourself asking these questions in your favor, create a list of questions and ask a third-party to “audit” your site for you.
2. Tidy up any outdated components of your website.
Review your website and make note of anything that is either outdated or doesn’t make sense, time wise. This can include your site’s copyright date, ‘About Us’ page components such as years of experience, events page and contact info. If you have a monthly newsletter, make sure all the recent versions are available on the website, and post a new blog post if you haven’t within the past 3 weeks.
How long has it been since you’ve tested your forms, automatic emails, RSS feed and/or social media widgets? If it’s been a while, make this top priority; you may have been missing out on capturing valuable leads by the day!
How new/relevant are your website’s photos? How old is your most recent testimonial? When was the last time you created a thread on your forum or bulletin board? You’ll be surprised how updating these website components will make a world of difference to your site.
3. Reduce, reuse and recycle.
When people spring clean their home, they often declutter their space to make room for new things. You can do the same with your website. Fix any broken images or links and delete any unpublished blog posts or pages that will never be live to the public. Remove or update your staff bios and get rid of old promotions, products or services that you no longer offer.
Many people forget that they can repurpose their old content into new, relevant marketing materials. Take some of your old blog posts and convert them into white papers for your visitors to download (and capture new leads to nurture – win-win). Maybe you’re looking to get into video marketing? Reuse a popular blog post and make a video out of it. Post it on your social media pages and capture new viewers through multiple mediums.
4. Show off your new polished website.
Take a deep breath and enjoy a fresh glass of lemonade. You’ve now finished your website spring cleaning, and it’s time to show off your hard work to new and existing visitors. Run a new promotion or utilize your social media pages to generate traffic to your updated website. If executed correctly, your visitors will notice the time and effort you put into making this site a better experience for them, which will lead to repeat visitors. The result will be more leads, more sales and increased customer loyalty.
Like home spring cleaning, it’s wise to give your website and online presence a “deep clean” once a year, while making a strong effort to keep it updated throughout the year. It may sound time-consuming, but just whistle while you work and know the results will bring you success that lasts all year round (which is more than we can say about your home spring cleaning). Happy cleaning!
