10 Quick tips for updating your site this summer

During the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, sales slow down for most businesses for a variety of reasons. It’s the best time for you to reflect on and update your website content so you are ready for the buying season that starts in September.

Here are ten quick tips and ideas to help you in updating your website:

1. Review your products, including the written text content, images and linked files to ensure its up to date and accurate. Are you adding enough information for human eyes and search engines alike?
2. Consider adding more value to your products to beef up the content on your website. This may include adding videos and links to PDF files like “user manuals”, specification sheets, or printable brochures.
3. Proof read everything — double check spelling and grammar for errors. ShopFactory 9 includes a spell checker which highlights spelling errors. Search engines now rank based on spelling too.
4. Consider updating to a new fresh look or design to improve your image. Are you speaking to your audience with the right image and feel in your site design?
5. Improve content on your Department and article pages. Consider adding some “How To” articles. This will help improve search engine ranking over-all.
6. Plan Ahead — develop some strategies for marketing during the busy periods. Eg. Build marketing campaigns like newsletters, promotions, etc. you can shelve and then quickly release during other busier periods in the year.
7. Are you storing too much old content? Consider deleting or at least updating old pages on your site to freshen them up for visitors and search engines.
8. Do some search engine research. Update your Title tags, content and descriptions to match the automatic suggestions given by search engines. IE: As you type search words in Google search box, it now suggests terms and phrases. Are you matching some of those automatic suggestions in your Title tags and content on your site and for your business?
9. Review ALL your marketing — both online and offline. Are you being consistent in your business image and what your business is really about? Consider streamlining all your printed and online material so it conveys the same message.
10. Take some time off for yourself. All work and no play will just wear you out.