27 May The Importance Of Fresh Content For Your Business Website

Business websites must maintain fresh content if they hope to retain visitors and gain repeat customers. Even if your company sells standard products that everyone uses on a daily basis, you still have to convince people to buy from you rather than the competitor. And if your company offers a product or service that is highly specialized, content presentation will be even more important to convey the various aspects of your business. Fresh website content lets customers know you are committed to the industry, are an active business, and care about engaging with customers. Keeping the same stale news and copywriting for years generally shows a lack of dedication to the website. This sort of stagnate presentation often extends to a lack of dedication to quality and service in other areas of business, at least in the eyes of customers. Not only does your content need to be new, but it needs to be credible. A study from Content Science reveals that credibility is higher when content shares recommendations from an expert, cites sources, is recommended by a friend, or the author/publisher is reputable. Including these four elements of credibility will also make your content more likely to be shared and promoted by customers, thereby sending more leads your way. Ideas for Fresh Content Here are some creative idea starters for what kind of new content to add to your business website: • Blog — Read below for more details on this content building strategy. • Event Photos — If you have recently attended or hosted an industry related trade show or event, share some pictures! These images connect you to other recognized brands as well as show the human side of your business story. • Press Releases — Quarterly press releases are an easy way to add a little new content to your site. These may be standard announcements of new products, services, and company accomplishments. • New Graphics — Graphics tend to become dated within about 5-7 years as new software develops and designers change styles. Change your graphics to keep content appearing on trend. On the Topic of Blogging Blogging can be a very important component of your marketing strategy. However, it needs to be seriously evaluated before jumping in blindly. Some important questions to ask yourself include: • “What will I write about?” — Make a list of topics and research competitor sites for ideas. Develop a publishing calendar that extends at least for the next 3 months. Read Kapost’s e-book “Blueprint of a Modern Marketing Campaign” to get a free calendar idea book and some great advice on derivative-style marketing. • “How much time can I devote to writing per week or month?” — If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of adding one more thing to your to-do list, you’ll be relieved by the next bullet point. • “Can I hire a professional blogger to write for me?” — It is very common for businesses to hire a dedicated employee or freelancer to write content for the blog. Check your budget for some wiggle room. If you don’t have the time, creativity, or skill to write a blog then hiring someone else is essential! One blogger recently shared his experiences statistically and emotionally when he increased from weekly to daily blogging. It’s definitely worth reading to determine the frequency of writings you are willing to commit to. In addition to keeping your site content up to date and engaging, be sure to avoid certain costly mistakes as outlined in our blog post “5 Common Small Business Website Mistakes That Can Cost You Customers.” If you’re out of ideas for your site, it may be time to hire a professional to oversee your digital marketing. View some of our case studies to see how we’ve helped clients just like you increase their leads and sales through online marketing!