Technically speaking, there isn’t any off-season when it comes to web design and internet marketing. However, those of us who have been in the industry for a while know that summer vacations, and a general lull in business activity during the warmer months, tend to cause our clients to slack off.
That’s not a problem if business owners and marketers come back feeling refreshed and renewed, ready to take on their competitors all across the web. That’s rarely the case, though. Instead, short breaks lead to indifference and bad habits. Then, businesses lose money because competitors catch up to them on Google, email subscribers disappear, and social followers stop being engaged.
We don’t want any of that to happen to your business. That’s why today we’re going to share a handful of tips you can use to bring your website back from the off-season. If you haven’t been paying much attention to your pages and content over the summer, here’s what you can do to get back on track…
First, Take a Stroll Through Your Business Website
If you haven’t seen your own website for a while, now is a good time to click through your pages and view things like a customer would. You can do this on your normal computer, as well as a smart phone or tablet. You don’t have to look for anything in particular, just a sense of how current and functional your existing web presence would seem to a first-time visitor.
Check the Main Indicator Lights on Your Web Analytics
After you’ve given your website a quick eye test, you should dig into the statistics to see what’s going on. Are more or fewer people coming to your website? What is your search positioning like? Do you have any broken links or trouble areas, and are your pages loading quickly? Now is the time to look for obvious problems so they can be corrected.
Review Your Content and Images
Web content and images always seem to go out of date when you aren’t looking. You may discover that your calendars are no longer current, or you have bios posted for employees who are no longer with the company. It might be that you need to update your product pages and prices, or that it’s time for new photos. This is your chance to refresh all your content, so examine it carefully.
Meet With Your Creative Team
Most business owners and executives simply don’t have the time needed to keep up with internet marketing trends. By having a short meeting with your creative team at the end of a busy summer, you can get a quick idea of what has changed online and which new trends you should consider following. One brief consultation every few months is probably enough to keep you informed.
Put Your Marketing Schedule Into Place
Fixing any problems on your website and staying up with the latest news is important, but you should also have an online marketing plan (complete with a schedule of content and activities) in place for the coming fall months. This can help you budget time and resources, and keep you on track with your various campaigns once business picks up again.
Your website probably wasn’t a top priority for you this summer, but you can’t afford to ignore it if you’re going to make the most of the opportunities in the coming months. So, take the tips we’ve outlined to heart, and then reach out to our creative team so we can help you turn your business goals into a smart online marketing strategy!