As a business owner, you probably know that without a website, your business is not as likely to prosper. Considering that about 75% of consumers first look at your website before interacting with you, it makes sense why having a site is essential. After all, nowadays, everything is on the internet, and people are more likely to buy from you if you make the information easy for them to reach.
However, this brings another question: how often should you update your website’s content to keep them engaged? Do you need to update it every day, or is once every few months enough? For the most part, this depends on the website. As a rule of thumb, the general answer is that your website should be updated as often as possible.
While you don’t have to keep updating your website every day, there are some signs that may suggest you are due. By keeping an eye out for them, you should be able to maintain good website traffic. Read on to find out how to make sure your website stays updated.
Why Should You Update Your Website Regularly?
Your website should be updated whenever you believe it is worth updating. For some people, this means they need to update once a month. For others, it means once a year. That being said, here are the benefits of updating your website regularly:
It Lets Visitors Know You Are Active
Imagine going by a shop and you see nothing moving in there. Naturally, you would think that the store is closed or shut down, so you will not be tempted to buy anything from there.
The same thing applies to websites – if visitors see no activity or change, they won’t know that you are alive and active. If your last review, update, or post was in 2020, they will likely think you are no longer posting. This can reduce the number of buyers in the long run.
It’s Good for SEO
Search engine crawlers are very picky when it comes to content. They will look at the keywords that you are using, the backlinks that you have, the inbound links that you use, the accuracy of your content, and everything else. If your website is not up to date with all the “hot” information, the crawlers will favor other websites. Also, search engines like new content, so you’re more likely to rank if you update frequently.
It Helps Keeps Up with Competition
In the world of business, you need to be one step ahead of your competitors. If your competition updates their website regularly while yours stays covered in cobwebs, you will lose visitors. Updating your website will draw potential customers your way, increasing website traffic.
Top Signs It’s Time to Update
There is no absolute rule as to how often your website should get an update. You could make minor updates every day if they are needed or catch your eye. General updates should be done once a month if it is manageable for you. Full website revamps may come once every 2-3 years, but even that rule is not absolute.
It all depends on your goals and the things that changed in the meantime. For the most part, if you notice the following signs, then your website may require an update:
You Are Missing the Information
When visitors check out your website, they likely expect to find all the information that they need and more. If your information is missing or inaccurate, this can create a negative impact on your business. Your website should serve as a resource, so if you have blank spots, you may want to fill them out. As a rule of thumb, you should provide all the details that your competition has and more. You don’t want people to leave with even more questions from your website.
You’re Not as Excited about Your Website Anymore
When you first finish your website, you are likely very proud of it. You want to show it to everyone, as it is a direct expression of you and your brand. If you are no longer excited to show the website off, this may suggest an update is due. Your mentality or work style may have changed in the meantime, and if you’re not connecting with the content, other visitors may not do that either.
Your Brand Has Evolved
If your brand does not change much over time, then there is no need for you to update your website as often. However, if your brand has evolved, then you must make sure the website shows it off. Perhaps you went through a rebrand, or maybe you’ve added other services. In that case, you should update the site and add the pages. Similarly, if you are no longer offering certain services, an update to the content may be needed to remove broken or orphan links.
Your Website Needs More Optimization
While many people use their phones instead of laptops to look for info, around 29% of business owners have not updated their websites to be mobile-friendly. The problem is that 57% of the people will leave your website if it takes forever to load, and another 30% will abandon their purchases if there is no mobile optimization. If your website has not been properly optimized for tablet or mobile support, then you may want to consider updating it.
You’re No Longer Getting Traffic
Google changes its SEO algorithm about 500-600 times per year. If the changes are small, they will not affect your website very much. However, if the change is big or there are multiple changes all at once, your SEO may not work as it should. If you are not getting as much traffic anymore, then the guidelines may have changed enough for Google to not recognize you. If that’s the case, you should consider updating your website content.
The Bottom Line
There is no absolute rule as to when you should update your website content, aside from “whenever it’s possible.” The more you update, the better it will be for SEO and the more trustworthy you will look for your customers. While you don’t need to update every day, you should do it whenever you see the signs above.