Merritt Mosby Advertising, uncork the creative juices.

Keep Your Site Fresh

Have you been to Web sites that contain dead links, the information is outdated, missing graphics abound, load time is slow, or have other problems? Do you even bother to stay, or do you immediately leave for something else that sparks your interest?

Web sites that are kept up to date, load quickly, and have engaging content have a better chance to be successful.

Maybe you think your Web site isn't one that will have or need ongoing, fresh content. Perhaps you've provided information about your business, yourself, and how to contact you, so there isn't new content to be added. In that case, the following suggestions will still apply, as there are tips to keep your Web site up to date, whether or not you add new content regularly.

Part of promoting your Web site must include thinking creatively to figure out ways to bring in visitors and encourage them to return, to bookmark your site, and to tell others about your site.

So, must you provide fresh, new content?

No need to run, kicking and screaming here. That answer can actually depend on the goals and purpose of your Web site. Many Web site owners have no idea what they can really do to improve their traffic to help produce income for their businesses. There are at least as many answers to that as there are Web sites, and that's where brainstorming, investigating, and using your imagination can come into play. There are endless possibilities.

A Web site's foundation must include quality, accurate, and current information. Building on that foundation is one of the keys.

Some ways to keep your content fresh, interesting, and alive:

Keep information up-to-date, such as product prices and descriptions of your products, services or applicable information for your Web site.
Do careful proofreading to eliminate typos and awkward grammar.
Include illustrations, photos, or other graphical elements to enhance your content. If you have products, provide recent photos or images of them.
Stay accessible. Make sure your visitors can easily see how to contact you by email especially, but also by phone, fax, or snail mail. Let them know you're there, interested, and ready to answer questions as needed.
Provide feature articles, news updates, a newsletter, or other appropriate new and growing content, with archives at your Web site. This will bring visitors back to your site, too. (There are also Web sites out there that offer free content, offer syndicated content, or offer writing services to provide professional content for you.)
Provide announcements that you can send out to let people know of news, changes, promotions, or updates. This will remind people that you're there and invites them to drop by for a visit.

Notice that the above list doesn't include adding fancy bells and whistles, blinking lights, or artwork by Michaelangelo. While bells and whistles definitely have their place, they should be used with a solid purpose in mind and be implemented appropriately to enhance your content.

EXAMPLE

Let's pretend you have a small business that creates ski equipment.

You've had a strong, solid, loyal clientele for over 50 years, and you think you must have a Web site to keep up with your competitors. So you have someone design your site for you, list some products and contact information, and leave it at that. Is that enough?

One of your competitors has a very active, busy Web site that has become quite successful.

They offer a regular newsletter sent out once a week just prior to and throughout ski season that provides the latest news about ski resorts and ski conditions, coupons, and package deals.
During the off-season they still send out monthly newsletters with latest news and reminders of what's coming up in the next ski season and what's available at ski resorts during the off-season.
They also offer links to other Web sites for ski resorts, ski information, travel clubs, and various sports. They even recently added a message forum that's gaining in popularity.
In time they've even gotten advertisers for their newsletter and their Web site so they're more than offsetting the monthly costs of maintaining the Web site.
As a result of this service, their sales are steadily increasing, too, their reputation has continued to grow, and they've become the local online "hangout" for skiers.
They even organize ski packages for their Web site visitors now.

Back to your own pretend Web site. Two years later your ski equipment site still has the same information. It's up to date but not generating much traffic, and you think that having a Web site is a waste of time and money. You don't have a newsletter or a mailing list, as you're busy just trying to keep your business going. Hmmm.... so what now? Is it worth the time and effort to do the kinds of things that the competitor has done? You've got a Web site but they haven't come. Look at the difference it made to implement some creative ideas.

In the examples above, the difference it makes to think and act creatively and to use the benefits of the Web to your advantage are clear. The time and effort can truly pay off.

Part of the uniqueness of the Web is the fantastic ability to add and change pages, including up-to-the-minute content to your Web site. Taking advantage of that can be one of the keys to a successful Web site.

For additional help with your website please contact us at info@mmosby.com.