5 Things That Should Not Be on Your Web Site

It's tough to find the time to update your Web site. "Out of sight, out of mind," the saying goes. But you could be losing opportunities to your competition because your Web site has become dated.

There are lots of factors that can contribute to a Web site looking out of date, but here's a list of the top five that you should fix right away. 

1. Technical Content on Your Home Page
Companies are changing the way they evaluate and purchase technology. IT departments aren't the only ones making the system decisions any more. Business decision makers are often taking the lead to find the technology that solves their business issues.

If your Web site was written to impress IT decision makers with your technical expertise, it may be time to revisit. Solving business problems should be the focus of your content. The content on your home page should be inviting and approachable for non-technical people.

If your technical expertise is your market differentiator, add a blog to your Web site. Regular posts by your technical team will keep content fresh as well as help with search ranking. Do call out and link to the blog on your home page.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you have any text like "Our experienced professionals will evaluate your systems to provide innovative and effective solutions," change it. Clearly describe what you do in specific, non-technical terms. When in doubt, ask a friend who is not in the technology business to look at your site and give you honest feedback. Do they understand what you do?

2. Dated Collateral
Does the solutions listing on your company collateral predate Windows 7? Probably time to fix that. Company overviews and solution brochures should be updated at least once a year. Case studies on 2003 upgrades probably aren't going to impress anyone looking to upgrade today. Take the opportunity to schedule an upgrade for those case study customers so you can update their success stories.   

3. 1990-Era Stock Photos
Stock photos are bad enough. Old stock photos of an executive holding a clunky phone or two people looking at a three-inch-thick laptop may make your Web site visitors smile, but they probably won't call you. 

4. Old Partner Logos
Microsoft has nicely asked you to update the partner logos on your site. It's time. Actually, it's past time. And it's good motivation to update all vendor and partner logos as well as add new ones. If you are a member of IAMCP or any other professional organizations, post them prominently on your site.

5. Complex Contact Forms
How easy is it for someone to contact you?  Do they have to fill out a form telling you their name, their company, their industry, their budget and why they want to talk to you? Would you fill out all those fields? They won't either.

Summer is a great time to hire a student intern to go through your Web site and clean things up. You'll be helping the economy and your business.

How do you keep content fresh on your Web site? Add a comment below or send me a note and let's share the knowledge.

Posted by Barb Levisay on May 31, 2012