You’ve spent a good deal of time, money and energy creating a website for business. It may’ve been hard work and when you were done, we bet you were ready to throw a party, take a long weekend, and shout, “I can cross that ‘to do’ item off my list now!” However, it is important to note that once the site is built, the job is not done. Good websites need frequent attention and updating. This fact can not be overstated.
The #1 single most important thing to remember is that the website is not the end product. A website is simply the vehicle from which you can disseminate information. For it to work for you requires an ongoing effort that takes planning, attention and consistency.
The best websites have one person whose sole responsibility is to gather information, format it in a compelling way, and then post it with basic marketing principles, web standards and search engine optimization in mind.
This person
- attends meetings with the sole focus of gathering details to add to the website
- is known within the organization as the go-to-person for website content
- is familiar with what your competition is doing online
- knows what information is currently on the site
- keeps a log of details that need to be added, expanded, updated, and removed
- knows where new information will best fit within the structure of the site
- keeps a watchful eye on web statistics
- knows what new WordPress plugins are available
- is familiar with search engine optimization
Your website is your public face. It is often the first contact someone will have with your business or organization and it is where they expect to find the most up-to-date information. It is important that the person responsible for maintaining it be committed to it for the long term. It isn’t a job for a part-time volunteer or a great grand child.
You wouldn’t have your neighbor’s kid act as your full-time salesperson, you wouldn’t mail an outdated brochure, and you wouldn’t use crayons to create your business cards. Your website is all these things and more. It is your company brochure, your calling card and your 24/7 salesperson. Keep your website up-to-date and trust a committed responsible adult to keep it current.