What Should You Update on Your Website Each Month?
Your website doesn’t need a complete makeover every month.
But it does need attention.
One of the biggest mistakes I see small business owners make is treating their website like something they set up once and then forget about. You put your services, contact information, photos and a little bit about your business online and then move on to everything else you have to do.
I get it. Running a business means there is always something else that needs your attention.
But your website is still working for you when you aren't.
That means it should be kept current.
Here are a few things I recommend checking and updating every month.
1. Check Your Contact Information
This one sounds simple, but it is easy to overlook.
Take a few minutes to make sure your phone number, email address, business hours, booking links and contact forms are still correct.
If someone finds your business through Google and your website tells them to call a number you no longer use, you've just created an unnecessary barrier between you and a potential customer.
Make it easy for people to reach you.
2. Update Your Services and Offers
Are you offering something new?
Did you stop offering a particular service?
Did you change your pricing, packages or process?
Your website should reflect what you are actually offering right now.
You don't want someone contacting you about a service you haven't offered in six months or worse, missing out on a customer because your newest service isn't listed anywhere.
Your website should grow as your business grows.
3. Add Something New
Your website doesn't have to constantly have a new page added to it.
Sometimes a small update is enough.
Upload a recent photo. Add a new testimonial. Publish a blog post. Update your FAQ. Add a recent accomplishment or announcement.
These little updates show that your business is active.
And they give visitors another reason to spend time on your website.
4. Check Your Links
Click your links. Seriously. Click them.
Your website may look perfectly fine while one of your buttons sends people to a broken page or an old booking link.
Check your:
Contact forms
Booking links
Social media links
Service buttons
Shop links
Downloadable files
Internal website links
You don't have to wait for a customer to tell you something isn't working.
5. Look at Your Website From a Customer's Perspective
This is one of my favorite things to recommend.
Open your website as if you've never seen it before.
Ask yourself:
Do I immediately understand what this business does?
Can I tell who they serve?
Is it easy to figure out what I should do next?
Can I find the information I'm looking for without digging through five pages?
Sometimes you are so familiar with your own business that you don't notice the little things that might confuse someone visiting your website for the first time.
Take a step back and look at it like a customer would.
6. Update Your Photos and Graphics
Your website should represent your business today, not two years ago.
If your business has changed, your imagery may need to change too.
Maybe you have new branding. Maybe you've started offering different services. Maybe your old photos no longer represent the quality or personality of your business.
You don't necessarily need a professional photoshoot every month.
Even replacing an outdated graphic or adding a few recent photos can make your website feel much more current.
7. Add or Update Your Blog Content
This is where website maintenance can also support your visibility online.
Writing helpful blog posts gives you opportunities to talk about the questions your customers are already asking.
For example, if you provide landscaping services, you could write about preparing a yard for summer. If you're a realtor, you could write about preparing a home for sale. If you own a restaurant, you could talk about your menu, events, catering or what goes into creating some of your popular dishes.
You don't have to write every week.
Even one helpful blog post a month gives your website fresh, useful content and creates another opportunity for people to discover your business through search.
8. Review Your Google Search Information
Your website and Google Business Profile should work together.
Look at the phrases people are using to find your business and think about whether your website actually talks about those things.
If people are searching for a service you provide but that service barely appears on your website, that's something worth addressing.
This isn't about stuffing your website with keywords.
It's about making sure your website clearly explains what you do, who you help and where you provide your services.
Your Website Doesn't Need to Be Perfect. It Needs to Be Current.
I think sometimes business owners hear "website updates" and immediately think they're going to need a redesign.
Not necessarily.
Sometimes your website doesn't need a redesign.
It just needs someone to pay attention to it.
A changed phone number.
A new service.
A fresh testimonial.
A new blog post.
A broken link that needs fixing.
An outdated photo that needs replacing.
Those small updates add up.
Your website is one of the places people go to decide whether they want to do business with you. So don't let it become the part of your business that gets forgotten.
Your business is changing. Your website should be allowed to change with it.
And if keeping up with website updates is one more thing sitting on your never-ending to-do list, that's something I can help with.
I provide website content updates and ongoing digital support for small businesses that need someone to keep the little things moving so you can focus on running the business.
