How fresh is your site?

No, we don’t mean do you follow the latest fashion trends.  And no, we aren’t wondering if you’re going to pre-order the new iPhone 4s.  And we’re not talking about which kind of car you drive.  Instead, we want to know about your website.

Are you up-to-date?  Are you keeping your site fresh and current?  This kind of maintenance might seem tedious, but it’s incredibly worth it.  Try the following tips to keep your website current…and maybe even a little, dare we say, hip?

• Keep links current, and keep adding them.  You don’t want to turn every sentence into some sort of inter-link, but keep in mind that you want to make your content “sticky”.  Provide links all throughout your site that give even more valuable information to your customers.
• Check for broken links.  Do you have any pages where the links just don’t work correctly?  If so, fix them.  Don’t give your customers any reason to not be able to go all over your site.
• Maintain current emails.  If you have an email listed as a contact, but you rarely check it, change it.  List one that you will check on a regular basis.  Do the same thing with all other forms of contact, including addresses and phone numbers.
• Make sure every post has a category (this applies if your site has a blog).  You really don’t need to get bogged down in tons of these, but you need one per post.  It helps keep your content organized for your readers, and also helps some in search engines.
• Update pictures.  Does your “About” page have a picture of you that is 10 years old?  It might not be a bad idea to upload a new one so that customers recognize you if they run into you at the store.
• Edit content.  Sure, that page sounded great when you wrote it…five years ago.  But have you looked at it lately?  Is there a way you could word it differently?  Are there any grammatical errors you can correct?
• Finally, take a look at your site’s design.  Does it still look, clean, fresh, and professional?  Or, does it look a little out-dated–like it needs a makeover?  If that’s the case, you can always contact us here at NewCoast Media–we’d love to help you out!

What are your best tips for keeping your website fresh and up-to-date?