Importance of updating website content

First impressions count – whether that’s in person, over the phone or online. Here are three handy tips to make sure your website is in good shape.

First impressions count – whether that’s in person, over the phone or online. Here are three handy tips to make sure your website is in good shape.

Tip #1: Keep things fresh

If your business depends on people being able to contact you or head to your shop, make sure your contact information, address and opening hours are easy to find. Try putting them near the top of your homepage where customers can spot them straight away.

Similarly, if you use social media to connect with your customers, make sure to put your social links in the website’s header or footer.

As a busy business owner, it can be easy to forget about keeping your website up to date. Imagine multiplying the task of updating your contact information across several platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or TripAdvisor. If a potential customer visits two of your sites and can see two different phone numbers, they might question your business’ trustworthiness or even if you’re still in business. So, set yourself regular reminders to check that everything is up to date. If you’d like some simple ways to make sure your website is fit for purpose, you can get some tips here.

Tip #2: Add some flair

If the information included on your website isn’t interesting, it won’t help you turn potential buyers into customers. Here are some tips to keep in mind to make sure your website’s full of personality:

• Use words like “you” to keep it personal and speak to the reader directly

• Don’t be afraid to make it sound more like you and write in your business’ unique tone of voice

• Make it clear how your product solves problems or what makes them desirable

• Customers won’t forgive easy-to-miss mistakes, so don’t forget to proofread your pages before they go live

• Make sure you create a journey for your customers to follow by linking them to different pages, so they can really get to know your business and products/services

Fortunately, apps like Grammarly can help get you with this. It’s a free online writing assistant, that suggests changes to the writing style and tone your website uses. While apps like Wordtune can help rewrite and rephrase your writing for you.

Tip #3: Make it mobile friendly

Since over 60% of people browse the internet from mobile phones, it’s important to make sure your website works well on more devices than just a laptop or desktop computer. The technical term for this is website responsiveness.

Regardless of screen size, your website still needs to look professional, is easy to use and doesn’t negatively impact your customers’ experience or your business’ image.

By following these tips, you won’t only be well on your way to giving customers a fantastic online experience and a great virtual first impression, but you may just increase the chances of them buying from you too.

You may have already spoken to one of our V-Hub Digital Advisers, but if not and you're looking for more support you can get in touch here. Our Knowledge Centre is also packed with information and tips to help you on your digital journey.