There are not many things in life that you can neglect, and not have it directly affect you. A good recipe in the crock pot tastes great after sitting a few hours. A retirement and savings account can pay a great dividend when you let it sit and mature. However, a website isn’t one of those things you can leave without it negatively affecting your business.
If your website is an extension of your business, the public needs to know about what you are doing, how you are doing it, and why they want to use your services. A neglected website can give the impression that your business as a whole is also being neglected, that you don’t care, or that your business is struggling in both customers, and cash. The public perception is important in a society that is dominated by online presence. If you have a physical store, you want the public to know you’re in business by maintaining the building, putting up new sales, providing new services, and showing why you are different from your competition. This is why stores like Walmart and Target have survived for so long. No one wants to see an outdated storefront or ideas and technologies that have not changed with the times.
Your website is one of the single most important marketing tools you will ever have. Keeping it up to date has its advantages, too:
Search Engine Presence
Believe it or not, a well maintained website doesn’t hurt you in the search engines. In fact, you stand to benefit from it. The more your site is active, the more notoriety you get with the search engine robots. Have you ever noticed any website that was last updated in 2008 in the top four or five pages in a search? Doubtful.
Fresh Content Shows You’re Up to Speed
In other words, you’re not stuck in the past and you want the customer to show you are looking out for their best interest. Updated and well maintained content puts you up to speed and your audience wants that – in some cases they need that. Whether it’s updating a blog or adding more items to your online store, customers take notice.
It Allows You to Compete
Keeping up with the times is what all companies have to do. Look at the ongoing battle between restaurants and major retailers today. They want your business by one-upping the other. They want you to visit their store. You want your customers to visit your website, and use your products and services – not your competitions. This is done by not neglecting your website and gives you the opportunity to see the fruits of your labor. Whether the ‘fruits’ are cash, or customers…the fruits are there for your taking.
Neglecting your website is detrimental to your business. If you want to have a successful online presense, don’t neglect your website and watch success come your way.