Have you heard the saying that internet years are like dog years? The point being made is that things move at a quicker pace online than you might be used to.
The key for this conversation is recognizing that a website is not like a piece of furniture you buy for your living room and don’t think about again until you redecorate in another 10 years. It’s more like the plant you added to your bookshelf. It needs more frequent attention and care, or it won’t be able to do what it’s supposed to.
On the flip side, the marketing tactics and never-ending pitches about what your business “must have” can be dizzying.
Maybe you’ve been wondering about your own website?
Is it supporting your biz to the best of it’s ability? And is it a big deal if it’s not?
We’re going to take a quick look at both. Let’s go!
Photos Should Be No Older Than Two Years
Just think how much kids change in just two years.
Your business is probably the same- for the better.
The images on your website start communicating to your visitors before they ever read a single word.
All in all, the average number of seconds to capture a website visitor currently sits somewhere around 6 seconds. Your imagery helps make every second count.
Your Services, Offers, & Other Company Info Should Be Fully Up-To-Date
What happens if someone reaches out to book a service with someone no longer on your team? Or you’ve changed your pricing and now you have to tell them what they want actually costs more. You’ll have to sell them all over again in order to confirm that sale.
On the other hand, what if you’ve increased your service price because you’ve recently made big changes that have elevated the level of service you provide. But your website doesn’t make that clear and as a result people are booking elsewhere because there’s a disconnect in your pricing communication.
When it comes to a business of your size, your website is equally as valuable as a full-time sales rep, marketer, and customer service rep. Your website has the potential to manage all three roles if set up properly. In not doing so, it’s actually costing you money all the same.
Visual Branding Should Be Consistent and Current
Just as color trends change over time so does our visual branding choices. Maybe you’ve recently updated your logo. Or possibly, you’ve deviated from your brand colors because you simply don’t like them anymore. Regardless of the reason, it’s important for brand recognition, professionalism, and maintaining a legitimate appearance to keep your visual branding current and consistent across all platforms. Refreshing your visual branding when making website updates is a great way to combine services and save time.
Inquiries Are Consistently Booking
Are you experiencing any of the following?
Your inquiries are from individual who are not the right fit for your business and services.
Your inquiries seem to be mostly price shopping or still “browsing” their options.
Inquiries? What inquiries?
If you said yes to any of those, it’s likely that your website needs some serious updating. One of the biggest purposes of your website is communicating your services and value clearly, helping people understand when it is (or isn’t) for them, and have them eager at the idea of booking before they ever reach out.
If your website isn’t doing this for you, business is going to be harder.
Now that you have four easy ways to tell if it’s time to update your website, consider reaching out to me to discuss how I can help. I offer done-for-you website design & copywriting along with marketing strategy support to help you implement these changes successfully on your own website.
Hi there, I’m Katie Taylor! A website designer, business strategist, and creative analyst! I help service-based businesses take their websites from drab to fab with purpose, beautiful design, and strategy so they can stand out online with a better brand, easily book dream clients, and spend more time enjoying life. I also work 1:1 with businesses to create better marketing outcomes.
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