How often do you update your website? Last week I had a couple of requests to update Contact and About information on WordPress websites I help maintain. One was pretty straightforward and just needed some changes to the owner’s bio and credentials. The other was a complete change to staff bios, credentials, and new photos.
It occurred to me that many small business owners neglect to update website contact information. These days, social media updates are far more demanding. The pressure to blog and post new information and images is increasing. Many WordPress website owners see the value and benefit of having a blog, but not many actually have the time to produce regular blog posts.
I get it. Believe me, I know how hard it is sometimes. You get busy with day-to-day operations, serving your customers’ needs and it’s hard to maintain your website. Social media becomes sporadic and brief at best.
But let me encourage you to let go of that pressure for a moment (sorry, it won’t go away completely).
Instead of worrying about blogging and social media right now, there are two easy tasks that will help freshen the content on your website. They won’t take too much energy. They might improve your website performance. They could even spark renewed interest from your customers or clients. What are these simple tasks?
First, update your website Contact information
Start with your Contact page. That’s easy. Make sure the basics are correct: address, phone, mobile, fax (if you still have one!), and possibly email addresses.
If you have social media accounts, make sure your Name, Address, and Phone (“NAP“) is exactly the same on each of them and that they match the format on your website contact page. Doing so will improve your ranking in search engines like Google (that’s basic SEO). If you want to tackle this yourself, you can read more about NAP consistency here.
Here’s a few things to consider adding to your Contact page if you haven’t already:
- Include direct contact information for key people or departments in your company. It’s annoying to customers when they call a main number only to get redirected a few times until they finally reach the person they need to speak with.
- If you have a physical location, add a Google map. This will help new customers find you. Assuming your website is mobile friendly (which it should be by now!), a Google map on your Contact page will help provide quick and easy directions if someone is looking for your location on their smartphone.
- To avoid email spam, I usually suggest not including email addresses on a website. There are times when it is beneficial, but it makes it too easy for spammers to collect addresses for their lists.
Instead of posting your your email address on the Contact page, consider a contact form. It can be very simple, where a visitor can enter name, email, and questions or comments. When your visitor clicks the “Submit” button, you get an email notification so you can respond to the specific inquiry.
You can also use a contact form to pre-screen potential clients. Include a few of the most common questions you are asked in a drop-down menu. Or you could have check boxes to find out what the specific visitor is interested in. That way, when you reply you will be more prepared to help.
Second, update your website About page
When your Contact page is updated, it’s time to review your About page.
If it’s been a couple of years since you launched your website, there must be a few things that have changed with you or your business. You post updates on Facebook. You update your LinkedIn profile. So why neglect the About page on your website?
Make sure all the staff photos are current and representative of your company. Remove any irrelevant information. Add new credentials or areas of business. If you are a sole proprietor, add some personal information (as appropriate for your market). You’ll be surprised what has changed and how updating can give your page a fresh new appeal.
Once you’ve finished updating these pages, let your customers and social media friends and followers know. Post the changes on Facebook. Send out a tweet so Twitter followers can link to your new contact form. Write a brief article on LinkedIn describing the changes.
It’s really quite simple to update your website Contact and About page information. But if you need a hand, you might find it’s even easier to simply give the information to your website administrator and have them update your website.
What things have you found helpful to include on your Contact and About pages? Please comment below.
About Steady Digital
We provide a WordPress maintenance plan to ease concerns like:
- Is my website performing at peak performance so visitors get the best experience possible?
- Do I have regular backups of my website in case something happens to my web server?
- What if my website gets hacked?
- How can I get up-to-date, professional training so I can use my website better?
- Who can I trust to do the updates that are beyond my technical or creative abilities?
Tired of trying to maintain your own website? A WordPress maintenance plan might be the solution for you.
