The short-lived sunshine in Pittsburgh last week put a few things on my mind:  shorts, barbecues and spring-cleaning. However, it’s not just a clean pantry and organized closet that I want to focus on; many business owners forget that the content on their website and social accounts needs to be cleaned up every now and then.

Out with the old…

I’ve had many clients review their old website during a kickoff meeting and say something like, “Why is Rhonda listed on our team page? She’s been gone for over a year!”

A lot of people pay close attention to the information on their website when it is being built, but then forget about keeping the content fresh. You should have an employee do regular audits of your site, and more often than every spring! Monthly or quarterly would work better, depending on your business.

Things that may need to be updated:

• Outdated information
  • Services
  • Team biographies
  • Pricing
  • Events
• Outdated images
• Outdated functionality
  • Contact forms
  • Broken custom code
• Broken links
• Old portfolio items
• Outdated contact information
• Disorganized navigation items
• Social media graphics
• Social media “About” information
• Blogs posts and white papers
• Resources
• Calls to action

Your business is constantly changing and growing, and keeping your website updated regularly will help ensure that you’re always giving the right message to your customers.

Have your site “auditor” make a list of all of the updates needed for the site and keep all of the updates in one document (I like to use Google Docs) so that nothing gets lost. Some updates can probably made in your content management system (CMS) right away, while others may require new information to be written before they are removed.

… In with the new

When you write new content for an already existing website, you need to make sure everything stays consistent. You should keep in mind that when you make updates, they should keep the same tone and formatting. This is especially important if someone is making updates who did not write the original content.

As you review the content of your site, you should also review your company mission and goals. Is all of the content on your site working together to reach those goals? Does all of the content reflect what your company stands for? Don’t forget that you should also be providing fresh site content through your blog, and it’s smart to review your blogging strategy regularly.

If you’re feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the idea of updating your website, don’t be! There is a difference between making some updates and going through a complete rebranding. You want to be sure that your site visitors have everything they need. Just like you wouldn’t invite someone over for dinner without first giving them your address, you need to provide the accurate information that customers need so that they don’t get lost!

When is the last time you reviewed your website? Spring is almost here, and it’s a beautiful day to focus on clean, updated content!