These days, it should really go without saying that every company needs a strong website. While the telephone will never go out of style as a top communication source, nearly everyone hops online each day to research their favourite areas of interest. If you’re looking to grow your company, it’s mandatory to have a strong online presence. And that means that you can’t just construct a website. You have to maintain one that speaks to the modern day consumer.
So what elements make up a strong website? Well, it’s important to ensure that it is maintained on a regular basis. If your website goes weeks, or even days without being updated, it gives online users the impression that nothing is happening with your business. In fact, it may even communicate that you’re out of business! There are some very important things that you should do and should NOT do when maintaining your company website.
Here are five things NOT to do:
1. Include pop-up ads. It’s not necessarily a bad idea to include links to other business websites on your website if you are bartering advertising services with other brands. However, pop-up ads are annoying. Simply put, people hate them. In many cases, a pop-up ad will cause an online visitor to click off of your website and never return again. Don’t allow for advertisements to interrupt the reason that people have visited your website to begin with.
2. Feature auto-play videos. Another annoyance, these auto-play videos sometimes completely confuse website visitors. Depending on the portion of the website being viewed, these videos can be heard and not seen and only serve as interruptions. When a video plays for a person who didn’t actually press the “play” button, that person is most likely going to think of one thing – pressing the “stop” button. And that often means leaving the site altogether.
3. Have a “Contact Us” page without contact information. Ugh! Talk about frustrating! At MeloTel, we fully recommend that your “Contact Us” page provides an option for your visitors to provide their names and email addresses so that you may add them to your emailing list. But this option shouldn’t replace your actual contact information that allows for people to call or email you at their convenience.
4. Provide no links to your social media pages. In this day and age, if you are not active on social media, you’re telling your audience that you are behind the times. Your website should include social media buttons that will immediately connect your visitors to your Facebook, Twitter and any other platforms you choose to use. You should also allow for options that enable your visitors to share your content on social media.
5. Keep no blog. Speaking of content that is worth sharing, your website needs a regularly updated blog. Your blog allows your visitors to learn about you in ways that no other information source can. It gives your company a voice that is meant to strengthen the impression your brand gives off. Blogs not only give your business a personality, but it adds content to your site that helps to increase the amount of hits it gets in search engines.
At MeloTel, we provide top-of-the-line services that help you to have the most effective website possible. Our Website Maintenance Services are perfect for the individual or small business that can benefit from about 2 to 15 hours of work each month. As well, our Bloggers & Creative Writers For Hire provide you with access to crafty wordsmiths who are experts at creating timely blogs and social media marketing campaigns for companies of all sizes.
For more information, give us a call at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the “Live Sales Chat” feature on our website!
