Just like your physical business, your website needs TLC

Imagine walking into the meeting room of a company who is trying to win your business…the calendar on the wall is still on 2018, the employee of the month is long since gone, and overall the room is disorganized with chairs not pushed in and blinds half-broken.

What would that say to you about this company? Would it inspire confidence? Probably not.

If your website is out-of-date, with broken links, images not showing, and filled with old, stale information, that’s precisely the first impression you’re creating.

This can be easily fixed. Here’s how:

• Contact your web developer or access the site’s Content Management System (CMS) and get the content updated and the site working optimally
• Keep it updated with a quick, twice-monthly review of the site

Sounds simple right? It should be.

If your website has become an outdated eyesore, there’s probably a reason why, here are some common ones:

• You have access to the CMS but have never been trained on it
• Your website developer has gone AWOL or is unresponsive
• Your site is old and was built on outdated or an obsolete technology platform

Regardless of the cause, oftentimes it is easier and less costly to replace – rather than repair – your website.

When you are ready to move forward with a new website, here are some guidelines to minimize future issues and ensure a positive outcome for years to come:

• Build the site on a common platform, such as WordPress, which powers 36% of the internet and can be worked on universally.
• Make sure the site is built with an easy-to-use CMS (content management system). After some basic training, a CMS will help you create, manage, and modify your website with ease.
• Choose a web development partner that is proven and reliable. How many websites have they built? Is this their core competency? Do they have experience working in your industry? How long have they been in business? What do their clients say about them in published online reviews?

If you think it’s expensive hiring professional, wait until you hire an amateur.

It’s possible you found yourself in your current predicament by trying to build a site with an online purchased theme, with a friend or family member with self-described technical skills, or commonly that freelance graphic designer who builds websites on the side.

Bottom-line: you’re best served to hire a pro.

Respecting the need for regular TLC, many website companies are evolving to a ‘website as a service’ model too. Just like your QuickBooks, Dropbox or MS Office subscriptions, websites can now be purchased and hosted for one low all-inclusive monthly payment, which includes regular content updating.

It’s 2020, prospective customers will visit your website. But what they see and experience when they do will have a big impact on what they do next. With the right focus, your website will be a key contributor to your business’s success. More directly put, your website will be making you money, not costing you sales.