How often should I update my website?

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For anyone who has been in the digital marketing industry for a while, you will understand the importance of updating your website. First, regularly updating your website is simply awesome for Google’s organic search rankings, as search engine crawlers can see yours is a website that runs the game, knows the industry and can provide an optimal customer experience.

Second, well, you’re providing an optimal customer experience! Customers love seeing websites with fresh, updated content, as this way they know you are serious about your business and can fulfill their expectations.

Think about it: would you prefer to purchase a product from a modern, on-trend website with a constant flow of content? Or, would you be happy to purchase a product from a website that looks like it hasn’t been upgraded since before Google was invented?

The answer is fairly obvious, and with that in mind, how often should you update your website, considering things like major updates, rebrands, content alterations and blog publishing?

Major updates & revamps

There are plenty of ways you can update your website and you can do this nearly every day: calls to action, blog posts with a purpose, relevant internal linking and more. but a major revamp isn’t going to come your way every day, and why should it? You don’t want to consistently change the overall design of your website if it’s working well for you, this will only serve to confuse the customer and make them lose trust in your brand.

Instead, it’s a good idea to revamp your website every two to three years, as never revamping your website leaves it open to all kinds of online problems, from an outdated look to security issues and in some cases even a loss in rankings since Google are always making changes on how they would like to see websites load.

Rebranding your website should always coincide with your goals and objectives as a business owner, as your business might be experiencing exponential growth and may need a website that truly reflects that growth or you might be offering a different product that requires a different website design. Whatever the reason behind a full rebrand, always ensure of the following:

  1. The website is full of clear, easy-to-locate information.
  2. The new website will help you reach your business goals.
  3. You have done enough to be happy to make the change from your old website.
  4. The site is original and unlike those of your competitors.
  5. Your logo is fresh & aligns with your brand identity.
  6. You have selected a reputable web developer to create the site.
  7. You know your target audience and are publishing a website that they would like to visit.
  8. You have developed a specified timeline for how and when you want the website published.
  9. You would be happy to see the final product if you were a customer.
  10. It is optimised for mobiles and tablets.

If you have completed a full revamp of your website, be sure to allow time to see if the website is a success among customers. Digital marketing is a process, and new websites can take weeks, if not months, to gain traction with your target audience, so don’t go making any new major alterations after publishing your site unless there is a glaring mistake.

Refreshing content & updating blogs

There are many reasons for regularly updating content: Including the need to maintain a contemporary site, the need to stay ahead of the competition, or when you have a new product or service you want to share with your customers.

But to ensure that your business is ahead of the curb, you want to update your website at least once a week, whether that be a new blog post or a minor alteration to your current website content. Why? Your website has to maintain relevance in order for customers and Google to see your brand as a living, evolving entity, and an industry leader that knows its product in and out.

Some marketers even like to update their website every day, as they always see room for improvement that can lead to increased conversions and sales. In any case, be sure you are publishing at least two blogs per week, as this way your customers will know that you care about your industry and are working to inform them about your product or service. Publishing two to four blogs each week provides greater results in terms of conversions and web traffic, and will truly put your business at the forefront of an industry thought leader. However, please remember, don’t do content updates just for the sake of an update.

It’s a combination of reactive & scheduled marketing

A website is an ever-changing, ever-growing entity where updates are key to ongoing success. You have to combine scheduled updates like blog posts and product listings with unscheduled updates like trending topics and search engine algorithm changes.

The main thing to remember is to not leave your website sitting stagnant – it will only come as no surprise when you start to see your rankings slide. Keep it moving and keep winning!

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