Happy New Year!

Now, the question we all get…  Any Resolutions?  Many of us have resolutions to organize and prioritize various things in our lives. Being a web development company, this is us saying your website is one area that fits into this category!

Don’t click out just yet. Reading a long article and thinking about technology upgrades is not your favorite thing to do, but we invite and encourage you to take a few minutes to read below to make sure you are where you need to be when it comes to your online abode. We’re pretty cool people…well, not cool, cool…but honest, professional, laidback, and always have your best interest at heart, kind of people. Take a few minutes to see if any of these categories speak to you…then speak to us!

Just like your favorite space at home, your website deserves a spruce-up now and then. In this guide, we’re delving into the art of refreshing your website’s look, content, maintenance, and even the platform it stands on.

Revitalize the Look: Keeping it Visually Fresh
Your website’s appearance is like the curb appeal of your digital dwelling. So, how often should you give it a facelift? Well, think of it like redecorating your living room. A complete overhaul might be every couple of years, but minor touch-ups, like changing banners, modernizing a font, or tweaking colors, can be done more frequently. Keep it visually appealing to make that lasting first impression.

Content Overhaul: Spice Things Up Regularly
Content is king, they say, and they’re right on many levels. For blogs, a weekly or monthly piece could be the sweet spot to get people to your site and offer them information of value. Content is also key for SEO. Adding regular content to your site, while implementing SEO tools like meta tags and keywords are important to bring people to your site. At Engine we write content from blogs and case studies to web pages and social media posts. All content articles are written with SEO-focused strategy and readability.

Maintenance: Tackling the Nitty-Gritty
Just like you’d do some spring cleaning at home, your website needs regular maintenance. How often? Well, a monthly check-up should suffice. Hunt down broken links, update plugins, and ensure everything is running smoothly. It’s the digital equivalent of changing the oil in your car – preventive maintenance saves you from bigger issues down the road. At Engine, we have several clients who have a monthly maintenance plan where we go in every month to make sure everything is updated and we send you a report of what was done each time. Reach out if you are interested in a maintenance package.

Platform Shuffle: When and Why to Switch Things Up
The technology world evolves faster than a Netflix series plot, so it’s natural to wonder when it’s time to upgrade your website’s platform. Major changes, like switching from WordPress to a custom CMS, might happen every few years. But if your current platform isn’t meeting your needs, don’t hesitate to make the jump. At Engine we can let you know if you need to update your platform. Reasons for this need are most often that you are on a platform no longer supported by updates. When updates cannot be done you run the risk of lower speed, broken pages, and security holes. Reach out if you would like more information on what platform you are on and what advice we would have on staying where you are or available updates.

Still with me? It’s wordy but there are important things here.

Hang in there! 

Listening to the Digital Symphony: User Feedback and Analytics
The digital world provides a symphony of user feedback and analytics. Listen to it! If your visitors are craving a change, consider it. Analytics are your backstage pass – understand what’s working, what’s not, and adjust your strategy accordingly. At Engine, Michelle has immersed herself in the world of analytics and improving a website’s ability to be seen in a search. Analytics can be overwhelming! At Engine we can do a baseline SEO review to dive deep into your site and let you know where and what improvements are needed on your site and create a plan to get your site more visible to Google. Reach out if you would like to learn more about SEO and the work we can do on your site.

Balancing Act: Consistency and Innovation
While change is good, find the right balance. Consistency breeds familiarity, and innovation keeps things exciting. Sometimes a large overhaul is needed, but more often updating your site for user-friendliness through platform updates to increase speed and security and adding SEO and content, mixing in some mild tweaks to make the site more modern if needed are what we recommend.

In conclusion, your website is your digital home. Refresh the look, stir up the content (and make it good on all levels), tackle maintenance regularly, and upgrade the platform when needed. What numbers above do you think you need to get assistance with?

It’s not just about staying current – it’s about creating a digital space that’s inviting, dynamic, and uniquely yours.