13 Reasons to Refresh Your Website Content
Knowing when it’s time to refresh website content isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. There’s a multitude of goals a website needs to achieve and, as a result, there’s just as many reasons to refresh website content.
Wondering how to tell when it’s time to update?
You could consult with an Edmonton website copywriter to get a full content analysis (hint, hint), but don’t worry, if you’d prefer to make a decision on your own I’ve still got you covered.
Today I’ll be sharing the most urgent signs your website content needs refreshing.
I highly encourage considering each of these points prior to excluding website copywriting from your marketing budget.
13 Reasons to Refresh Website Content
1. Your Competitors Are Outranking You
68 per cent of all clicks go to the first five organic Google search results. If your competitors are showing up in these coveted positions while you trail behind, you’ll want to partner with an SEO copywriter as soon as possible.
Remember, organic search accounts for 53 per cent of all web traffic, so the longer your competitor ranks above you, the longer they benefit from increased visibility.
A seasoned SEO copywriter can provide you with compelling optimized copy Google will prioritize, restoring your competitive edge and strengthening your hold on local rankings.
2. Your Bounce Rates Are High
A high bounce rate is a conversion killer. When your website visitors leave a specific page shortly after arriving on it, it’s a sure sign there is an issue with your content. Either your copy isn’t relevant to the reader, it’s too long or jargon-filled, it’s poorly formatted, or it’s under-optimized.
Remember, bounce rates are one of Google’s top four ranking factors, so if your bounce rates are above average your search engine performance will almost certainly suffer.
Fresh, optimized, and customer-centric content is one of the best ways to get your bounce rank back to where it needs to be (and one of the most urgent reasons to refresh website content).
3. Your Website Visitors Aren’t Converting
Conversions are the primary purpose of (just about) every website. Phone calls, emails, appointment bookings, newsletter subscriptions, app installs, social shares— every business wants visitors to do something after making it to their site.
The problem? There are countless web page copy issues that can prevent people from completing these desired actions. Poor formatting, a low readability score, and not speaking directly to the pain points an ideal customer is experiencing are just a few examples.
In fact, simply changing the wording of a call to action button to be more personalized can increase conversions by 202 percent.
Remember, the average business website has a conversion rate of 1-3 per cent, but the top performing companies see 3-5X higher conversion rates than average. So, if you want to remain competitive and drive sales you’ll definitely need to refresh website content regularly.
Your best bet? Hire a professional with experience in conversion copywriting.
4.Your Users Can’t Find What They’re Looking For
It’s super important to analyze the search terms that are bringing the most amount of traffic to your site.
Let’s say you’re a plant-based nutrition coach and one of the top terms users search to find your website is “plant-based grocery planning”. It would be wise to dedicate an entire web page to this topic during your next website content refresh.
Ultimately, the more you provide visitors with exactly what they’re looking for, the more they’ll come to trust you as a resource and revisit your site in the future.
5. Your Monthly Traffic is Stagnant (Or Worse, It’s Declining)
Sure, you can drive traffic to your website with paid advertisements, but that’s going to add up quickly. Plus, as mentioned above, 53 percent of all website traffic comes from organic search, so if you want to strengthen your monthly numbers you’re going to need to invest in SEO copywriting—like it or not.
This is one of the most compelling reasons to refresh website content, as organic search is essential to the success of any business (40 per cent of revenue is captured by organic traffic).
With optimized content, you can outrank competitors, attract visitors, and ultimately increase the profitability of your online presence.
“53 percent of all website traffic comes from organic search, so if you want to strengthen your monthly numbers you’re going to need to invest in SEO copywriting—like it or not.”
6. You’re Sending Mixed Messages
You want your brand to be easily recognizable and memorable to your target audience, and part of achieving this is maintaining consistent messaging throughout your website.
Remember, businesses with brand consistency are 3.5 times more visible to customers than those who send mixed messages— and as a result, they earn 23 per cent more revenue, on average.
If you notice your website copy has become a bit of a hodgepodge over the years, it’s time to invest in a website content refresh.
7. Your Site Is Bogged Down With Broken Links
Broken links impact your website’s search engine performance. But also, if your website visitors continuously run into 404 errors or dead links on your site, they’ll likely become frustrated and leave, which ultimately impacts your ability to convert users into paying customers.
While fixing broken links can be done without updating website content, it may be more convenient to do while you are already refreshing your website content. Think of it like updating the light fixtures in your home. You don’t need to do a home renovation to update your lighting, but if you are already doing a home renovation, why not add new, modern fixtures that improve visibility?
8. Your Call-to-Actions Aren’t Compelling Enough
We’ve already spoken about the importance of converting website visitors, but maybe brands underestimate how much their CTAs impact their conversion rates, so it never hurts to emphasize this point.
We know that 90 per cent of visitors who read the headline of a web page will also read the CTA copy, while only 16 percent will read the entire page word-by-word.
Moral of the story? Your CTAs matter a WHOLE lot.
Yet, still, only 47 per cent of websites have a clear call to action button that visitors can identify in three seconds or less, making this one of the most crucial reasons to refresh website content.
9. You’re Getting a Ton of Calls From Confused Customers
Your web page copy should answer all of the most burning questions potential customers may have about your product or service. If your phone is constantly ringing because your website visitors still require more information, it’s one of the surest signs your website content needs refreshing.
Questions your website should answer include:
Where is your business located?
What are your hours of operation?
What differentiates your brand from competitors?
What are the benefits of the product(s) or service(s) you offer?
Who, specifically, is your product or service for?
Why should your website visitors care about what you have to offer?
What can potential customers expect after making a purchase?
What are your credentials?
How can potential customers contact you?
Why should people trust you?
10. Your Content Isn’t Conversational
Remember, you are an expert in your niche, but your potential customers may not be. And even if they are, it’s unlikely they want to read through countless paragraphs of pedantic, jargon-filled information.
No matter what industry you operate in, you want your website visitors to feel engaged in a genuine and personable way. If you haven’t yet accomplished this, it’s definitely the right time to invest in website copywriting.
11. You Wrote Your Website Content Without a Strategy in Place
User experience, search engine optimization, brand building, audience segments, and conversion optimization are all part of a successful website content strategy. Did you consider these factors before writing your existing content?
If your answer was “no”, that’s a major red flag.
Aligning your content with a greater strategy is the most reliable way to ensure your site meets your performance goals both presently and for years to come.
Remember, there’s a reason why 31.8 per cent of companies with a content strategy have a 27.1 per cent higher win rate than those without strategies.
12. Your Content Is Poorly Structured
User experience relies heavily on the proper formatting and structuring of content. The better organized your content is, the more seamlessly your users will be able to navigate your site and find the information they need. For this reason, structure can never be overlooked when considering reasons to refresh your website content.
But content structure doesn’t just benefit your visitors—it also benefits your search rankings, since it is easier for Google Bots to crawl and categorize websites with a strong and logical content structure.
13. You Didn’t Consider the Customer Journey
Have you considered how you want your visitors to navigate through your website, how they’ll interact with it, and how they will achieve the various goals you want them to achieve?
You may want new visitors to learn more about a charitable campaign you are running, for instance, before making a donation and then finally subscribing to your newsletter.
Your website content has to support this journey from start to finish, enticing the user and making it clear which next steps they can take.
Statistics show that 67 per cent of a buyer's journey is now completed online, and that number is only expected to increase. If you want to maintain a competitive advantage, a website content refresh that more closely aligns with your ideal customer journey is always a smart choice.
Refresh Your Website With High-Calibre Content
Each website copywriting project presents its own unique set of requirements and challenges. It’s my job as your Edmonton copywriter to thoroughly assess the functional needs of your site as well as your desired outcomes for branding and marketing.
My strategic client onboarding process ensures all relevant factors are considered and used as the foundational blocks of your website copywriting— before the content creation process begins.
If you’re ready to partner with an experienced Edmonton website copywriter with substantial SEO, conversion optimization, and branding experience, I’d be thrilled to hear from you.
Let’s make sure your site meets every standard.