• 10 January 2022
• Alex Penfield

7 Ways to Update Your Small Business Website in 2022

New year. New online you. The small business landscape has shifted significantly over the past year, so it makes sense that your online presence should too. Whether you do most of your business digitally or have just begun dipping your toe into the online world, the start of a new year is an excellent time to update your website. Take some time to think about the way you do business online, and determine what’s working, what’s not working and what may need a new coat of paint. The following seven updates can help ensure your website looks and functions at its best for 2022.

Do a basic diagnostic check
The beauty (and curse!) of the internet is that it is always changing. Platforms, browsers and functionality are in constant flux, so it’s smart to stay on top of how these changes may affect your site. For example, the recent release of the iOS 15 operation system may cause links, layouts and plug-ins on your website to behave differently than originally intended. Look into the following when updating your small business website to keep in functioning at its best:

• Bad quality and/or missing images
• Any user info that is outdated or incorrect
• Plug-ins that need to be updated
• Themes that require a redesign or an update
• Formatting issues
• Any missing content

Gather feedback
Your website is a direct representation of you and your small business. To get the most accurate feedback about how your site is truly consumed, you need to reach out to the consumers themselves. Ask your audience about their user experience and how it could be improved with a website update. You may be surprised at their willingness to engage and share their thoughts with you. There are plenty of ways to uncover and organize feedback, such as threads, email campaigns and surveys. Use what works best for you, and commit to making changes to your website that your audience will appreciate.

Research the competition
Competitive analysis is a helpful tool when discerning how best to operate your small business. When you want to determine what’s working within your consumer landscape, looking over the fence at your neighbor could be exactly the solution you need. This remains true for website functionality. Take the time to surf the sites of your contemporaries, and note what stands out to you, what you’re doing better and what strategies you may be able to employ for your own small business website.

Analyze your analytics
Looking outward isn’t the only solution. To paint a complete picture of what needs to be updated on your small business site, you’ll want to do a deep dive into current activity. Sift through your analytic data for the following information:

• Which pages create the highest bounce rate (i.e., when a visitor leaves your site)?
• Which pages are the most visited?
• Which pages create the highest level of engagement?

Spruce up your SEO
New customers mean more potential for revenue. One of the best ways to attract new customers is by making your website highly discoverable through keyword search. Choosing the right keywords through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will help your ranking in searches and land you more visitors. SEO can seem daunting, but with a little homework and some helpful tools, you can ensure your site has a significant amount of highly searchable words. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Wordtracker are just two of the options you can use to help boost your search results.

Bring more content to the table
Customers who visit a website are not likely to stay very long if they aren’t engaged. When thinking of ways to update your website for 2022, keep in mind that many of your customers know what to expect and may have even become fatigued with your content. Don’t be afraid to add new content. For instance, you can:

• Make videos to easily describe your products and services
• Create a blog
• Rewrite sections of your site (factoring in SEO and surveys)

Make it accessible

If it’s been a while since you’ve updated your small business website, you may need to consider its accessibility. Accessibility refers to how persons with disabilities access and interact with the features and benefits of your site. There are many best practices for ensuring your site is accessible to all, including using alt text captions and multifunction navigation tools. The National Disability Authority has extensive resources to help you make your small business website as accessible as possible.

Use the above seven strategies to start 2022 off on a strong note for your small business. More than ever, consumers are turning to digital platforms to do business, so ensuring your small business has its best foot forward in the online world will help you find success and growth in the new year.