Although the question of how often you should update your website has been extensively debated, the general consensus is that something is better than nothing. First things first though – what is actually classed as a website update, and why should you bother?
What constitutes as “fresh” content for your website usually boils down to your industry, sector, product or service. For some, it’s keeping those item descriptions up to date, while for others it’s testimonials. If you’ve found yourself wondering how often you should update your website, it can even be as simple as updating your “Meet The Team” or “About Us” page more than once a year.
Regular website updates are about more than just having accurate content though, and can provide a wealth of surprising benefits that include the following.
SEO Points – It’s no secret that Google loves content, especially new content, which helps to boost your website to the top of the rankings if it hits all the right notes. A website that posts regular content updates also gets “crawled” more regularly, maximising your chances at getting discovered organically via Google search engine results.
Increased Shareability – Encouraging your audiences to share your content across their own social media platforms is one of the biggest content marketing wins any brand could hope for – and it’s free. Reward their efforts by posting regular and engaging blogs or new products or services, with the aim being giving them something to get excited about.
Better User Experience – Apart from establishing credibility and brand authority, your website is ultimately there for your audience and customer base. A happy user will likely come back, convert, register, buy and ideally recommend your website to other users, so ensure that you’re updating your content regularly to deliver a memorable experience for them.
Updating Your Website For Maximum Impact
Sadly, it’s not uncommon for brand and businesses owners to throw up a website, and dust their hands of it. A website is like a car – it needs ongoing maintenance to run at it’s best, so how often should you update your website, and what should it involve?
Blogging – While some experts say four times a week and others once a month, ultimately updating your brand’s online blog boils down to quality content, and above all – consistency. Plan your posts in advance in order to produce a steady timeline, so that your audiences have an idea on what to expect from you. Check out our blog writing service.
Item Descriptions – A product or service description should be between 300-400 words, or however long is necessary to address the main features of the product and a brief overview of its benefits to the consumer. To stay relevant and avoid misleading your customers, update these immediately if anything about the item changes.
Lead Magnets – A lead magnet is regarded as an item of value that your website visitors receive in exchange for their email address to build up your subscription list. Typically a guide or manual in a PDF format, they can grow stale if they no longer resonate with your customer base. Try to give these a fresh once a quarter, or every three months.
Brand Stories – Whether it’s your pages contact details, policies, brand stories, “Meet The Team” or “About Us” pages, it’s crucial to ensure that you deliver accurate information about the fundamentals of your brand. If you have a staff member leave or even a change of address, update this on your website ASAP to remain transparent and reliable to consumers.
FAQ Pages – Have you noticed a pattern in terms of seeing the same questions being asked by both new and existing customers? It could even be as simple as Covid-19 related shipping times. Regardless, keep your finger to the pulse and be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to updating the frequently asked questions that your brand often receives.
When it comes to knowing how often you should update your website, it’s important to know the difference between an update and a redesign. Sometimes the technology you’re using may be outdated, modules don’t work as well as they used to, or it’s just starting to feel old and clunky. It’s not uncommon for brands to roll out a full website redesign every two to three years, but ensure that you know what you’re doing before tackling this yourself.
Why Content Marketing Counts As A Website Update
Whether you’re just starting out on your content marketing journey or are looking to reinvigorate an established website, then working off a top notch content library is essential. After all, this practice is regarded as one of the best ways to “get seen” on Google, promote and legitimise your brand online, and to add value for both new and existing audiences.
However, producing quality, consistent and on brand content takes time, effort, experience and resources – and you’re not alone if you can’t quite commit to that. Avoiding the use of keywords and content marketing all together may actually be doing your brand a disservice, but thankfully, investing in a solid content marketing strategy has never been easier.
Here at Content Hive, producing top quality video and digital content is exactly what we do best. We have itemised a list of digital content services, and allocated credits next to each of these. This means that each month, you can use your credits with us to produce digital content such as social media posts, blog articles, videos and even animated Instagram stories.
We believe that this model means we can produce high quality content in faster than normal delivery times. It also means that because you have a monthly credit, you are going to want to make sure you use these up – and so do we – meaning that your digital content is always consistent.
If you aren’t quite sure where to start on your digital marketing journey and would like to speak to a professional, why not book in a free discovery call with us at Content Hive today to discuss how we can get your brand buzzing online.
