Websites are like sales people; but in many ways they are better.

As a business owner, you have probably hired some pretty great people to represent your company and help it grow. But have you thought about your website in the same way? Just as you don’t want your employees representing any wrong information about your business, you don’t want your website telling potential customers inaccurate information. Your website is something that you should really have complete control over.

• Websites work 24/7 without complaining.
• Websites can answer questions about your product or service any time, day or night.
• Websites should always look polished and presentable.
• Websites should always give the most accurate and up to date information about your business.
• Websites should use relevant keywords to make key points that drive sales.
• Websites should be considered an investment, and eventually pay for themselves.

Every business owner with a website should evaluate and update their website at least a few times a year. But how do you know what to look for to improve? How do you know what is missing?

Our web developer, Melissa Doyle is here to help. With the initials M.D., she’s our web Doctor and she’s always on call to fix and improve your website when you need it. Here’s a quick Q&A, with explanations that will help you determine if your website needs a checkup.

Is your website up to date with your product or service that you offer?

Pricing updates: Is there anything more frustrating than when you are charged more for something that is quoted for less on a business’s website? Make sure your pricing reflects what you actually charge. If it’s too much to keep it updated, remove the pricing and ask your visitors to call or email for a quote.

Product descriptions, dimensions, or photos: Keeping production information up to date on your website saves you from customer service hassles later on.

Staff: Have there been any personnel or title changes lately? Make sure your site reflects your current team structure. It shows that you care about not only your company and website, but your people too.

Could your imagery be improved?

Say “Cheese”! A great way your website can make your business appear more approachable is by putting a (friendly-looking) face to the name for your visitors. While you’re updating those staff titles or bios, add in a nice profile picture of your employees.  And unless your team is part of  a professional wrestling association or a state prison, make sure you’re all smiling!

Exterior photos: Exterior photos help visitors with your location. When you walk into your business every morning, does the exterior of your building look like what is currently on your site? Perhaps you have an outdated picture – this will confuse customers trying to find your office. With natural lighting, exterior photos are super simple for the most basic smartphone camera to get a good shot.

Update your portfolio: Whether you’re a contractor or interior designer, restaurant owner or hair stylist – trends change. Take the opportunity to display photos and terminology on your website that reflect that you keep up with these trends.

Does other content need to be updated?

In addition to keeping pricing, portfolios and staff updated, there are other important areas of your content that can increase interest in your business.

Remove outdated PDF’s & other downloads: These could be tied to dead links or unavailable products. This makes it very frustrating to your visitors, so be sure to remove or replace them. Search engines, like Google, can also penalize you for broken links.

Mention who’s using your product: This could include new industries, or specific people or businesses that are well known in your community. Make sure that whomever is mentioned on your site is reputable in the public eye.

Testimonials: Make sure you have at least three honest and legitimate testimonials on your site. You don’t have to include last names, but make them as authentic as you can. You can easily copy them from publicly displayed areas such as your Facebook page or your Google Business Listing, too.

Fix typos & inaccuracies: What’s the difference between there, their and they’re? If you don’t know, you should probably have a knit-picky grammar guru go through your content. Your website is not only like a salesperson, but a brochure. You don’t want typos in your brochure or on your website. You instantly lose professional credibility when people read errors and see inconsistencies.

How are you instilling trust?

Your guarantee: How do you guarantee or warranty your product or service? You need to disclose this on your site, because chances are your competitors are disclosing theirs. You don’t want to look like you are hiding something or that you might be difficult to work with if there’s a bump in the road along the way.

What’s your process? Let customers know the process they can expect when they work with you. From beginning to end, make sure your visitors understand that the process is painless and the end result is a happy customer.

You are the expert: Your website is where you get to brag. Make sure you are showcasing your best work through your portfolio. Take the opportunities to answer questions through an FAQ page. This can help visitors realize that you know what you are talking about and have the upper hand over the competition.