The Brand Refresh Series: Simple Ways to Update Your Website

The Brand Refresh Series: Simple Ways to Update Your Website

The Brand Refresh Series: Simple Ways to Update Your Website 1500 1000 Julianna Rice

This is the second installment of a three-part blog series. You can read the first installment here: The Brand Refresh Series: How to Digitally Refresh Your Brand.

In the previous installment of this three-part series, we talked about when to consider a branding refresh for your business. And while it may feel like an intangible asset, I can’t stress enough that there are so many benefits of good brand equity. 

But this week, we’re taking the brand refresh a step further with simple ways to refresh your website.

Here is a hard-hitting fact: 92% of consumers look at a company’s website prior to making a purchase. This means that a company that doesn’t prioritize web design may be losing a lot of potential consumers and prospective employees.  

Depending on the website that your company currently has in place, a few minor tweaks may be all that’s needed to ensure that this interaction with the potential customer is smooth and stress free. The goal is for the customer to be persuaded to (and not dissuaded from) forging a relationship.

It’s easier to think of it like this: most consumers in today’s world don’t step into a brick and mortar office or storefront. As a result, the website is the next best thing when it comes to understanding a company’s mission and culture. An outdated website is like stepping into an office with fluorescent lights and shag carpet – not always a deal breaker, but a little off-putting. If customers can’t navigate your website at all, it would be like inviting your customer to meet you in a condemned building. You might say business is going great, but that unfixed hole in the ceiling tells a different story. 

A very important note: today’s consumers place an emphasis on ‘user friendly.’ This means that the best websites are easy to navigate and have pertinent information in accessible locations. These tips are going to focus on that consumer friendly design, like making sure contact information is up to date and not difficult to find.

Now, companies can take different approaches to website upkeep. Some like to contract it out to an agency, and others like to maintain the website themselves. This really just depends on needs and budget; but if a company is maintaining and monitoring its own website, then it should definitely put resources into learning web (specifically UX) design. 

Should you refresh your website, or are you in need of a new website altogether?

To answer this question, you should visit your business’s website. Take a look at the home page – what stands out? Can a potential customer immediately know what services and/or products you offer? When you click on all the tabs, links, and company information, is the site navigating as needed? Or are there broken links and 404 error pages?

If there are too many errors for the website to properly function as a sales tool, then you may need to consult a professional. You may also want to hear a second opinion on the design of the website. If the year is 2021, and your website was looking outdated in 2010, then it may not be a convincing sales page for prospective customers.

On the other hand, if your website has a modern design, and there aren’t any errors when your customers are navigating, you’re in a good spot! Rather than bringing on a web design agency to redesign your website, you may be able to make some small but powerfully effective updates on your own.

How to Refresh Your Website

1. Make sure to update relevant info across the site. This can’t be said enough – consumers are not patient. If it takes more than a few clicks and to figure out what the company does or how to contact them, then it’s very likely they will move onto a different webpage. Make sure to:

    • List all services offered
    • Delete services no longer performed
    • Ensure all contact info is accurate and up to date! (This is SO important. A company can sell the best product in the world, but if no one can figure out how to reach anyone to make a purchase, the likelihood that the company is successful is very low.

2. Make sure that the following is easily found on the landing page:

    • Company name
    • Contact information
    • Location, if important to the products or services offered
    • Call to action – this is what brings the customer from “Oh, this looks interesting!” to “Okay, I can click here to order mine!”
    • Examples:
      • Purchase link
      • Scheduling initial consultation call
      • Scheduling the service provided
      • Signing up for emails

Bonus: Add a call to action on social media posts to check out recent webpage updates, new articles, etc. This can be as simple as posting a URL with status updates!

3. Make sure that the website is easily navigated on various devices, like:

    • Desktop
    • Tablet
    • Mobile (Note: most searches and website views are now done on mobile devices – if the website isn’t compatible with mobile, potential customers could write off the company!)

4. Check a few important things, like:

    • Your hyperlinks – the following are very important!
      • The ‘Contact’ tab
      • All ‘Purchase’ links
      • All ‘Follow us on social media’ links
    • Site speed
      • On older websites, this can also be an indicator of a larger problem!

These are just a few short tips for a comprehensive website refresh. If your website is made with Squarespace or WordPress, you may be able to make these small updates without enlisting the help of a web developer. There are also plenty of resources to help increase your website visibility. However, if your website can’t be easily navigated, it may be time to enlist the help of a web design agency.

If you have questions, schedule a free virtual consultation with our web developers today – we are always so excited to talk to you about your project!

The Brand Refresh Series: Simple Ways to Update Your Website

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About the author

Julianna Rice

Before she became content manager at Kairos (and finally put that English degree to good use!) Julianna had a successful career in risk management and direct sales. When she's not writing helpful content for small business owners, you can find her at a book club. She also likes cats, coffee, and carbs – in that order.

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