Do you really need to update your website content? You have built your website, or paid someone good money to do that for you. So what now? Does it just sit there, hanging in cyberspace, like a flag without wind? Let’s begin with the reason you built your website.
Why Did You Spend Time and Money Building a Website?
Is it because you think you should? Is it to provide verification of you as a business? Or is it to bring in clients and customers? And how is that working for you? Ask yourself:
Why Would People Look At Your Website?
Your website helps people make a decision. They want to know whether to use your services or look elsewhere. Whether they have met you at a networking event, been referred to you or found you elsewhere, there is a good chance they will look at your website before getting in touch.
Three Reasons To Update Your Website Content
Potential customers
Imagine you are looking for a plumber to install a bathroom and you search Google. Will you choose a plumber who has a website with stock photographs but no news or updates? Or will you choose a plumber who can show you pictures of a bathroom they installed last week with details of what they did and how they did it? And not just last week — many bathrooms they have installed.
You are more likely to choose the plumber whose work you can see. Job after job after job. Their website gives you evidence that they are active, experienced and still doing the work you need.
Google’s job is to help people find useful, relevant information. An up-to-date website can also give visitors confidence that a business is active and that the information they are reading is current. If your website hasn’t changed since 2023, what does it tell a potential customer about your business?
Your business stands out from the crowd
Every piece of content gives people another chance to see your business and get a feel for your personality. That helps you stand out from the crowd and attract the customers who are right for you.
So How Often Should You Update Your Website Content?
There isn’t a magic number when it comes to updating your website. What matters is giving your customers useful, relevant information and keeping important information up to date. As a small business, you also have limited time and resources, so my recommendation is to aim for one useful piece of new website content each month.
I know from experience just how difficult this is — and I create content for a living! Like you, I always put my customers first, leaving my own business to last, a habit I am trying to break.
Can You Use AI For Content?
Many businesses are doing this at the moment. It is controversial, with concerns about ‘AI slop’ and what it means for copywriters and other content creators. I’m not here to get into that debate.
What matters to my clients is the result.
I produce professional, accurate content that is written in your voice and sounds like you. I may use a Large Language Model (LLM) to help me do that, so you get better quality content and better value for money.
But producing the words is only part of it. I also know how to use an LLM to help create content that is properly structured and optimised for SEO, while keeping it relevant to the people who will actually read it.
And I don’t forget the pictures. I can customise and prepare your images so they fit properly on your web pages and support the content. I can also produce versions for your social media, all as part of one package. With AI now becoming part of the search experience, good visual content gives search engines and AI systems more information about your business and what you do.
So yes, I use AI. But I don’t simply press a button and put the result on your website. I use it as a tool, alongside my knowledge of websites, SEO, content and your business, to produce something that works for you.
I have a whole toolkit of technology and techniques that I’ve developed and refined over the years. The important thing isn’t which tools are involved. It’s whether the finished content is accurate, sounds like you and helps your business get found.
Need Help Keeping Your Website Content Up To Date?
Whether you write your own content, use AI to help you, or simply don’t have the time, keeping your website up to date can still be a challenge.
A monthly blog post or news post is my speciality. You might be wondering whether you may as well do it yourself by the time you have sent the information to me.
I can save you a lot of time. Send me the pictures from your phone and I can prepare them for your website, making sure they are the right size and shape so your work looks its best.
What Do I Need From You?
- A voice message telling me What, Why, When, Where, How and Who,
- Photos,
- Any testimonial you have received.
That is it. That is all I need. Then I will send the post to you for your approval.
Does It Work?
My roofing customer asked me why he was getting so many enquiries for chimney repairs. I had created several “Completed Work” posts highlighting chimney work he had carried out. Over time, those pages began appearing prominently when people searched for chimney repair in his town, even though his business is located around five miles away.
Where Google is concerned, it is not a quick fix. Creating useful content consistently gives your website more opportunities to be found for relevant searches, but there are no guarantees about where a page will rank.
And when it comes to people you have met through networking or who have been referred to you, the benefit can be much more immediate. They can visit your website, see your latest work and get a better feel for your business before deciding whether to contact you.
Want Your Website To Work Harder For Your Business?
If you want to improve your online visibility and keep your website working for your business, contact me, Liz The Whiz on 07974 701526 or email me at liz@lizthewhiz.co.uk. I love learning about businesses, including the nerdy stuff! Or connect with me on LinkedIN.