Tips and tricks to help you

Grow your business online

The online world doesn’t stand still, so if your website has been sitting stagnant on the internet over that past year (er...or more), it’s time to dust it off and start making it work for your business!

Are you more of a visual learner?

Here’s a video version of this post.

5 Ways to Refresh Your Website

The online world doesn’t stand still, so if your website has been sitting stagnant on the internet over that past year (er…or more), it’s time to dust it off and start making it work for your business.

Let’s have a look at 5 simple ways you can clean it up.

If you want your website to stand out to your dream client, you’ve got to review it every few months to be sure it’s properly reflecting your business and your goals.

1. Content

The first thing to look at when giving your website a refresh is the content — which includes the copy and the images.

Try to approach this with fresh eyes and read through your website as if you’ve never seen it before. Then ask these questions:

  • Is it immediately obvious who you help and what problem you can solve for them?
  • Do you use actual words and phrases that they’d use or is your copy full of insider jargon that they won’t understand or relate to?
  • Are there any long blocks of copy that could be made more bite-sized and easily digestible?
  • Do you answer the question your reader is thinking? Which is “What’s in it for me?”

Now have a look around your site and make any updates to reflect any changes that have taken place, such as new team members, changed services or offerings, or contact information for example.

A simple way to update the appearance of your website is to swap out the images. You could easily replace the large header images that appear at the top of the pages and any portraits of yourself or your team.

2. Brand Consistency

While we’re on the subject of visuals, have a look through your website to be sure the colors, typefaces, and graphics are current with your branding.

Because we use social media and ads so regularly in business, it can be easy to sway from your brand guidelines and start using your elements in small ways that differ from how they were used when you originally launched your site.

If this is the case, make any necessary updates as needed so that your business appears consistently across all the channels of your marketing.

3. Navigation

Next, have a look at your site’s navigation. You may know your way around it even if your eyes were closed, but imagine this is the first time you’ve seen it and ask yourself if you can you easily find what you’re looking for.

If a visitor can easily find the information they’re looking for they’ll be more likely to stay longer on your site.

And that’s really important when it comes to SEO. Search engines look at how long someone stays on your site. The longer they stay the better your website will rank in search engine results.

You could even recruit a friend or family member to help you with this. Ask them to navigate through your site and jot down anywhere they get lost or confused and any questions they have that they can’t find an answer to.

4. Calls-to-action

You may think it’s obvious what you want you a visitor to do, but if you don’t tell them directly, more than likely they won’t take action.

So, first, determine the next step you’d like them to take. For example, do you want them to join your facebook group, download your freebie, or schedule a call?

Then, go through your site and check that every page has a clear and obvious call-to-action and that it’s current with your desired end result.

And while we’re on the topic of results, let make sure you are showing them on your website.

5. Results

If it’s been a while since you’ve made updates to your site, then you’ve probably worked with some new clients. So, be sure to add any new case studies, client testimonials or portfolio projects.

Also, if you’ve received any new certifications or received any awards, add those. If you’ve been published in media or you’ve been interviewed on podcasts, you may want to think about adding a press page if you don’t already have one.

I recommend you run through these updates at least a few times a year so that your website doesn’t go back to collecting dust in a dark corner of the internet.
Instead, use it as the money-making tool for your business that is should and can be!

If you’re thinking, “Whoa, slow down lady! I don’t even have a website yet.” Then have a look at the 5 things you need to nail down before you even start a website project.

Alli McAuley

Hi, I'm Alli McAuley.

I help passionate entrepreneurs, like you, create a strategic brand and website that stands out to your dream clients so you can run a successful business online.

My ultimate goal is to empower you with the tools you need to live your best life by doing the work your love.

KEEP READING