Is It Time To Refresh Your Website? Spoiler Alert: Probably!

by Tanya Amyote

In today’s digital world, a website is an integral part of any business; however, simply having a website is not enough. Unlike a crockpot meal where you can set it and forget it, for a website to stay relevant, competitive and dynamic you must regularly reevaluate it to ensure your content, design and “behind the curtain” tools are modern, user-friendly and accessible, giving your prospects a true and up-to-date picture of your business and your offerings.

How often should a company conduct a website reboot?

While there is no set rule for how often a website should be updated, here are some factors to keep in mind:

1. Your business itself: Has your company undergone a significant change? A merger or acquisition? A rebranding or new product launch? A pivot to a new vertical? These are all great reasons to take a look at your website and make sure it contains the information you want your prospects to see first.
2. Technology: Our industry moves at a breakneck pace, and with more and more business being conducted on mobile devices, your website needs to be optimized for the various devices, browsers and operating systems used today.
3. Trends: Ensure your website design is modern, your technology is up to date and you are ahead of the curve in meeting the latest accessibility guidelines (more on those later).

You’ve decided to do a website reboot. Now what?

1. Set clear goals. Before making any updates to your website, define the objectives for what you want to achieve. This will help you stay focused and establish that your updates align with your overall business strategy. Do you want your website to be primarily a knowledge base for your clients? Or are you more focused on lead generation? Determining the primary goal will help you outline the best path forward to meet that goal.
2. Engage a professional. Your website is often your first point of contact with a new prospect. Don’t let an outdated or clunky design be your prospect’s first impression of your company. Redesigning a website requires commitment from all stakeholders, including designers, developers, content creators and business owners. Failure to communicate realistic timelines and expectations can lead to a website that is incomplete or ineffective.
3. Pay attention to “behind the curtain” considerations such as search engine optimization and accessibility. From adding alt text to images to the planning of the website site map structure to keyword research, taking time to consider updating such factors early in the process will help prevent redundant efforts later.

Digging a little further into that last point, with the increased awareness of the need to nurture cultures of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, accessibility is an important consideration when developing and updating your website.

Ensuring that your website meets accessibility guidelines allows people with disabilities to use your content effectively. For example, people with low vision or colorblindness can benefit from designs using high-contrast color palettes, while people who have difficulty using a mouse can benefit from features such as navigation through keyboard shortcuts.

The successful creation or update of a company website can be a complex process requiring specialized skills and experience. By engaging a strategic marketing consultant to walk you through the process, you gain access to the latest tools, insights and talent, optimizing your content and design, boosting your company’s rankings in search engine results pages and assuring your story is seen by your target audience.

About the Author

Tanya Amyote joined the Edge team in 2016, as marketing assistant, Excel enthusiast and token Canadian.

When not solving the world’s pivot table problems, Tanya is an avid reader, fountain pen user, and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion.