Spring is in the air in Minnesota…at least it was until this wonderful mid-April snow storm. I’m optimistic, however, that the snow will quickly melt and true spring will emerge! You’ve probably spent some time sorting through your spring wardrobe, deep-cleaning your house, collecting a pile for Goodwill, and maybe even cleaning up your garden. But how much time have you dedicated to spring cleaning your website? …That’s what I thought.
Just as we revitalize our homes every spring, its also a great time to assess your website and give it some much-needed TLC. This blog post will cover my 5 biggest tips for spring cleaning your website.
1. Make Sure Your Plugins, Theme, Framework, and Platform are Updated
This seems pretty intuitive, but many people forget to keep their core website up-to-date, especially if they have a WordPress website. Staying on top of your website updates helps keep your site running smoothly, quickly, and reliably. Even if you don’t have a WordPress website, sites like Shopify still require users to manually update their themes.
2. Spring Cleaning = Removing Outdated Information
If you had an “upcoming speaking event” that took place in January, it’s past time to take that down. Keeping your website updated is a double-edged sword. You want visitors to know you’re active and posting regularly, but that can bite you in the butt if you don’t remove outdated information. Try to avoid using specific dates in your website text. For example, instead of saying “For the past 10 years…” try a maintenance-free approach by saying “Since 2009…” If your business involves regular upcoming events, consider utilizing an embedded Google Calendar that will automatically remove past events from public view.
3. Add New Products, Services, Case Studies, Team Members + More
Once per month, log onto your website and add your most recent activity. Offering a new course, product, or service? Make sure you have a page talking about your recent additions. It’s always best to make these changes when they’re fresh in your mind. Keeping your website content updated keeps your relevant in the public eye.
4. Solicit Google Reviews from Happy Customers
One of the best things you can do to improve your local search rankings on Google is to collect positive Google Reviews. Google gives more SEO authority to businesses with a high number of positive testimonials. Consider sending clients or customers a follow-up email after your work together concludes asking them to leave you a review. You can also make it easier for folks to leave you reviews by embedding a link directly in your email signature block and website. Speaking of making it easy to leave a review…CLICK HERE to leave a glowing review for PSM 😉 No really…we would appreciate it.
5. Blog
Blogging is a great way to put a face to your small business. Especially if you’re a new company, you can use your blog to tell your story. Sharing your back story, motivations, and inspirations will help visitors on your website feel engaged. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that blogging is also tremendously helpful for SEO. Make sure that every blog post is at least 300 words!
Spring is a wonderful time to take stock of your website and think about the best ways to improve it. I urge you to star a blog, ask for Google Reviews, add relevant new information, and remove antiquated content. Remember- your website is your biggest digital asset. Show your site how much you love it by busting out your cleaning supplies and getting to work!
Not sure where to start? Contact us for a free website audit and marketing consultation.