Why is a good website like a dreamy swimming pool? Let’s dive in & find out.
In sunny Hawke’s Bay,where we’re based, November heralds the start of months of alfresco eating and entertainment: summer salads, BBQ skewers, bowls of berries, squeals and laughter as pool noodle fights break out. For those lucky enough to own one, or be friendly with someone who does, a swimming pool is the centrepiece of summery fun.
And, as anyone who owns a swimming pool will tell you, it takes a heck of a lot of time and effort to prepare for the first swim of the season. Then there’s the ongoing maintenance; scrubbing, skimming, vacuuming, cleaning the filter, adjusting pool chemicals to cater to weather conditions and bodies in water, and on and on. But when the kids are in the pool and the adults are enjoying a chilled beverage while comparing the effectiveness of mozzie repellents, no one will dispute that the level of work was worth it.
Similarly, launching a website is really just the beginning of a journey to keep getting better and build more connection with your audience.
Here are some of the ways you can improve and build on your website’s performance after launch
- Keep it fresh with new or updated content
Google specifically encourages content marketers to focus on human-first content. Content that meets the E-E-A-T criteria will win you eyes on page. What does E-E-A-T stand for? Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Although AI may be a quick way to generate such content, a caveat here is to ensure that your content is not entirely written by AI. Whether consciously or unconsciously, humans register the disservice and algorithms can penalise AI-porridge. AI does have its place, though. We’ll share our thoughts on that in a future article.
- Listen to user feedback and community engagement
Are you spending hours each week replying to emails or calls with the same darn response? Sounds like you need an FAQ section and/or some good, informative articles on your site. Do people keep messaging you to ask where your store is or how to buy your products? Check that your contact page is working properly and that your Google My Business listing is updated and optimised. Unsure how? We can help.
- Ensure your website content is accessible
Back to the pool motif – while diving boards may be the preferred way to make an entrance for some, others may prefer the slowly-slowly approach down the ladder. Different people access your website in different ways, at different times and on different devices. You probably envision your ideal audience looking at your website on a laptop. But they could be squinting at their mobile in the sun while out walking with one hand pushing a pram, or they could be a blind-low vision person listening to a screen-reader navigate your site. It’s important to ensure your website is welcoming for everyone.
- Regularly reevaluate your content strategy
Changing seasons, new products, competitor movements and evolving audience interests all call for a bit of a rethink. If you have a strategy, print it out and stick it up where you’ll see it on a regular basis. Check in at least every quarter to see how your content output aligns with your strategy. If you don’t have a strategy, we’re here to help!
- Measure what matters: audit and test
Your website’s analytics tools are not much use if you’re not regularly checking the insights (engagement, acquisition, landing pages, keyword queries, etc) and benchmarking. Regular content audits will help you filter out the low-performing content and to identify areas needing improvement.
- Optimise! Optimise! Optimise!
We cannot stress this enough. There are always opportunities to improve on what you have. Whether it’s ensuring the site speed is hitting the mark for both desktop and mobile users, or rethinking the placement or wording of your Call to Action buttons, a digital marketer’s work is never done!
Whether your website is five-years-old or 55-minutes old, it’s important to have a plan of continuous improvement.
Don’t let your website stagnate, contact us today!