When was the last time you updated your company website? Today? Last week? Last month? Last year? I’m hoping it was no later than last week, but a recent report suggests otherwise. SiteKreator’s Small Business Usage Study found that 54% of small businesses update their websites less than once per month.
Why it Matters: Content Is Still King.
From an SEO perspective, if you want Google and the other search engines to rank your site high for your chosen keywords, your site needs to supply a steady flow of fresh, quality content related to those keywords.
From a search perspective, when the ‘searcher’ types what he’s looking for into the Google search bar, he now looks for the most relevant information AND the most recently produced. For instance, when I’m searching for a technical solution to a website problem, I’m not interested in results from 2008. Google gives me the option to filter by time range and I find that very useful.
From a viewer’s perspective, when a new visitor arrives at your site, will he find what he’s looking for? If not, your ranking on the search results page won’t matter.
Introducing the New Green Light Sign Solutions Website
Our client, Green Light Sign Solutions, specializes in energy-efficient electronic message centers and LED outdoor signs. As we developed their new website, we returned again and again to the three perspectives mentioned above. Honing in on the viewer’s perspective, we looked for ways to build-in opportunities for engagement and interactivity. And let me add a quick disclaimer here: we’re still building out portions of the site behind the scenes.
This site is built using WordPress because it’s versatile, full-featured, and user-friendly. Our client will be able to easily and frequently add content – in the form of posts, image galleries, and video. A support forum will make it easy to provide troubleshooting assistance and answer customer questions. The key idea here is ease of use for every staff member who will have access to the site, so that quality information can consistently be delivered in a variety of formats for site visitors.
Have you been thinking about how to make your website more interactive and easy to update? Then you’re on the right track. Share your plans with us by leaving a comment, we love to hear from you. Here’s to a successful 2011!
Related Off-Site Articles:
Online Engagement and the Small Biz Success Correlation
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