Keep Your Business Relevant by Keeping Your Website Updated
In the digital era, having a functional website is essential in having a business. People rely on a company’s site for information and to learn more about the business. What makes a company stand out is how well its website looks and works. Which makes an updated website an important factor in maintaining your business’s brand identity.
Let’s be honest, there were fashion trends we followed that still haunt us to this day. What may have been trendy at the time may not look so great now.
While we may want to hold onto our shoulder-padded jackets and parachute pants, it’s important to show your potential clients that your business is still relevant today with a functional and modern website.
[RELATED: Importance of a Functioning Website]
An update to your business website could make the biggest difference in the amount of web traffic you get on your site and the new clients that come through your door.
Still not convinced? Here are some reasons an updated website is important for your business.
An Updated Website Keeps Your Site Visually Appealing and Relevant 
Dr. B.J. Fogg from Stanford University conducted a study with other researchers about website credibility. Fogg found that 46 percent of consumers assess the credibility of a website by its visual design.
That’s a lot of trust to put into a web design. But it also shows the importance of maintaining a visually appealing website for gaining more customers.
[RELATED: When to Know It’s Time for a Website Redesign]
Updating your colors, layout, or even the content of your website can increase the positive response rate from your target audience. Out-of-style websites lose a lot of credibility with potential customers.
Even updating the pictures could bring new life to your webpage. Having blurry or pixilated pictures on your site is not only unappealing to users but may also indicate that the content on your site is therefore outdated or inaccurate. Which, in turn, can also lead to a lost opportunity in gaining new customers.
Update Website Content Frequently Helps with Traffic
As your business evolves, your services may change as well. If there are products or services that your company no longer provides, it’s time to update your site. Nothing breaks the trust and drives potential clients away faster than offering a product that is no longer available.
In addition to keeping content relevant with the products and services your business is currently providing, adding new pages and content to your site on a regular basis is a good way to keep your site current. Posting a blog on a weekly or monthly basis adds new material to your site not only gets your website indexed more often but can also bring more traffic to your site.
A blog can also entice people to stay on your site longer, which increases the likelihood that they will find a product or service they want and then buy from your company.
[RELATED: Why Should I Blog?]
Enhancing Performance Provides Better User Experience 
Websites are becoming more advanced as technology continues to progress. Our phones and computers update every few months to fix a few bugs and enhance performance. The same should be done to your website.
While there are several features you can add to improve user experience, the biggest site performance enhancement to focus on is the page load time.
Have you ever clicked out of a site because it took too long to load? Other web users do the same thing.
Research shows that the tolerable wait time for website retrieval is two seconds. People are looking for instant results, and if your webpage takes too long to load, users will click off and try a different website.
Don’t let the competition steal potential clients because of a slow website. Updating your site and enhancing your website’s speed will surely give people a chance to at least look at what your business has to offer.
Updating Your Website Improves Your Search Ranking
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), having an updated website can improve your website’s search page ranking. New content shows that your website is still valid and relevant. When search engines see that your website is still relevant to today’s consumers, they are more likely to give your website an extra ranking boost.
[RELATED: Content’s Role in SEO]
In fact, Google ranks a website by its content, performance, traffic, and the overall structure. And in the last few years, website ranking has now included how well your website works on mobile devices. So if your website has not been updated in the last couple years and is mobile friendly, the time to update your site is now.
[RELATED: 3 Ways Responsive Design Can Get You More Customers]
Having a nice website is one thing, but in order to really boost your website ranking, having a fast, well-designed website that is user-friendly on every device can really improve your website status. It’ll give your website a better online presence and visibility – and therefore – more traffic and potenial customers.
Need Help with Updating Your Website? Call Catapult Creative Media
Think you may need to update your website? We can help! We specialize in web design and reconstruction, and we can help you get started on the right path to a newer, updated website. For a swifter, sleeker website, give us a call at 225-590-3310 for a free consultation.
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Ashley Boudreaux is a senior at Louisiana State University. She is currently studying Mass Communication and French. In her free time, Ashley enjoys visiting petting zoos and climbing trees.
Work with Catapult Creative Media Inc. Catapult Creative Media Inc. is a digital marketing and design agency serving clients over the United States but is proud to call Baton Rouge, Louisiana home. Founded in 2007, Catapult provides digital, social and mobile marketing solutions backed by relevant strategy and measurable results. Catapult works the web to their clients’ advantage, launching them to their next level of success.
