So you’ve got a brand new website – what next? It’s important to keep it up to date in order to generate a steady stream of traffic. This is the final article in our series of digital marketing tips. We started by outlining the Top 7 Signs You Need a New Website, then preparing you for the Top 8 Red Flags When Commissioning a New Website. Now, here are our top 6 ways to keep your shiny new website delivering.
1. Continue to provide fresh content
Unlike print marketing, you’re free to update the copy on your website as often as you like. This ensures you represent your business properly, and demonstrates to Google that your website is a destination for up to date content. In addition, posting topical content to a blog on your website can encourage engagement across social media and will drive traffic to your website.
2. The original brief is just the start
Having a website brief and achieving your amazing new-look website can seem like the end of the journey, but the digital world doesn’t work like that – you need to evolve and respond to changing user needs and market demands. The pages, features and design of your new website are just the starting point. There are more ways to support users and drive conversions – either to attract new customers or to save time and money on in-house processes.
3. Raise awareness and drive traffic
One of the most important things to do after your website goes live is make sure people are aware of it. A solid digital marketing strategy is a must, incorporating PR campaigns, promoted social posts, pay-per-click advertising, viral campaigns (such as competitions) and more. By following these tips once your website is live, you can ensure you get the most return on investment.
4. Ongoing SEO optimisations
As the nature of your website grows and evolves and the content changes, it’s important to review keywords and metadata. Make sure you monitor the keyword performance of your website and regularly update it to ensure you continue to appear in relevant search engine results.
5. Consider seasonal design changes
One way to breathe new life into your website and attract users is with topical or seasonal updates. Has something happened in the news recently that means users may be particularly interested in your services or product? Make a big deal of this on the homepage and guide users to a specialised page outlining how you can help. Do you have products that are particularly relevant during winter months? Start emphasising these prominently on the homepage leading up to winter. This is a great way to impress regular visitors and also make new visitors appreciate your relevance and proactiveness.
6. Consider a spin-off or microsite
Sometimes if you’re heading into a new area of business, want to attract a new kind of customer, or want to be seen as the leading expert on an issue, it can be worth setting up a separate mini website rather than adding to your existing website. Setting up as a separate microsite can help differentiate new products or services for potential visitors. Perhaps you want to pitch yourselves as the industry experts on a particular topic. You can set up a separate informational website educating customers, linking through to your main website where they can receive in-person advice or support. A separate microsite can be an effective way of attractive visitors that otherwise wouldn’t have considered clicking through to your website. By following these tips once your website is live, you can ensure you get the most return on investment. For more website tips, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. Top 6 Ways To Keep Your Website Performing Over Time first appeared in 53 Degrees Magazine’s November 2016 issue.