Do you want to make your website as fresh and appealing to Internet visitors as possible? Consider what updates you need to add to your business website. Each update may be a form of fresh content that encourages site visitors to return for more information. If you don’t offer fresh content, your visitors might get bored and continue web surfing to more informative websites, possibly even the websites of your competitors. As a small business owner, you can use the following ideas to update your business website.
Fresh Written Content
If you invested money in creating or redesigning your website, it is wise to protect your investment by providing company updates and written features for customers to read. Each item of written content builds on your existing marketing materials. Fresh content includes web articles, polls, quizzes, research reports, blog entries, white papers, opinion columns, product reviews, customer comments, and your responses and comments. Be sure to place each piece of text strategically on the website where customers will find it and read it.
Clickability
Upgrading the website design is also important for website visitors. If you get frequent calls or emails from customers indicating they cannot find information on your website, it is time to review your web layout for clickability. You can rearrange the hierarchy of links and web page content so clicking on each link leads customers to the information they need. For example, if customers need coupons, you should have a link on the main home page that takes them directly to company coupons. You can also add a site map and a search feature to allow customers to find their way around your website.
Some companies also choose to incorporate Google AdSense on their pages to generate additional revenue from their website. One of the Google webmaster tools is the Google search box. You can read the Google instructions for adding this feature to your site after logging into your Google webmaster account. Remember to add enough features to keep visitors informed and to update each feature frequently.
E-Commerce Capabilities
Some small business owners find a need to add the e-commerce functionality. Your e-commerce feature should comply with federal regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (or SOX compliance). That means when you collect consumer credit card, debit card, or checking account information, you must ensure that each user’s information is protected from fraud. If you choose a shopping cart application from a company like PayPal or Google Checkout, you can read the terms of service to determine how the shopping cart software protects consumer information.
All of your business website upgrades can be handled by a website design and maintenance company. If you don’t have time to upgrade your website, consider these benefits of outsourcing:
*You hire a professional web designer who continually obtains and posts fresh content.
*Your website is more user-friendly and clickable with professional website design.
*Your staff must respond to fewer customer requests about finding information on the website.
*Your website loses fewer visitors to the websites of your competition.
Because your website is a free marketing tool, it is worth your time and money to invest in better website design, maintenance, and content updates. With a small monthly or yearly investment in outsourcing, you get a better online presence for your small business.
