5 Ways To Update Your Website

Looking to freshen up your website in the new year?

Here are my top 5 tips to give your site that revamp it’s been needing. First, though, there are a few things to keep in mind: are you pivoting your business or just refreshing your website?

There’s a big difference between just updating and switching things around when your business is going through a transformation.

Put your face on the website!

Ok, hold up. I know this is a bit awkward for you - because it is for me! Seriously, putting all those photos of myself on this website feels like I should be dressing up as the queen in Snow White. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean your vain.

Faces on a website are actually a good thing! Especially if people will be working with YOU or your the face of the company. Think Lauren Conrad or Jenna Kutcher. You KNOW those boss ladies have a team but their face is what’s on the website. It’s all about the human connection.

Even website designers need their face on the website. Do you know how many clients I’ve had that choose to book with me because I actually have my face plastered all over? Isn’t it kind of offputting when there is no face? How can you be sure it’s legit? Not to toot my own horn but… Toot!

Have an e-commerce website? Awesome! Put your clothing on models, have people using your product on the home page. If you have a particular mission, perhaps adding a bio area so people can connect with the boss behind the site.

Rule of thumb: Don’t be a faceless company.

Capture their emails.

I can hear it now, “But Yasmine, I have [insert crazy high number] of social media followers and don’t need email.”

Yes, yes you do.

Social platforms could shut down at any minute or raise their fees for ads or charge you for being on the platform (I’d better stop. I might be giving them ideas). When that happens, you could lose all of your followers and sales plummet.

Want to know how to gauge if people actually care? Email. Think about it, when you give someone your email address, you’re entrusting that they won’t spam you and it’s because they’ve reached another tier level of awesomeness in your book. They’re not just someone you happen to follow on Instagram - you’re literally saying, “Here’s my digital address, send me stuff.”

Now to the form.

Keep email forms simple.

Don’t ask for too much in the form. Hell, you might just want the email and nothing else. I’ve seen forms asking for first name, last name, phone number, birthday and the list goes on. Unless you have a super high-level white paper like Hubspot sometimes gives out, you don’t want that.

Side note: clients do use this when they want to SUPER LIMIT the number of people signing up but if that’s not what your marketing goal is, keep it simple!

Ask for name and email. That’s it. The name can be used if you want to personalize the email. If you’re lazy like me and don’t personalize emails, just ask for the address and move on.

Second email side note: look into the legal requirements for capturing emails. You might need a few checkboxes for extra permissions.

Be clear with your call-to-action.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, your website should be designed for a drunk lazy person. All your pages should have a call to action and those should be clear. Finish the sentence “I want to…” with “Contact Today” “Sign Up Now” or even “Shop Now.”

Don’t get cute with button text. I added these cute/funny call-to-action buttons and my click-through went down and I was given the feedback that the user didn’t even know where they’d end up when they clicked them.

Side note: Make sure your hero section always has a call to action!

Be proud of your blog.

This one sort of depends on your marketing goals and the type of site you have. For service-based businesses, if you have a blog that is offering value and is regularly updated, be proud, and place it on the top navigation. If your navigation is cluttered and the blog is a side thing that you do when you’re able to, move it down to the footer.

Go full width with images.

Full-width images are those that go from edge to edge on the browser window. This is where you should really be focusing your designs on - especially if you’re having photo sessions. You want to make sure you’re displaying the best images possible.

Use bright colors.

If your brand allows it, stand out with bright colors. See which ones align best with the feeling you want to snag from your users, such as yellow for optimism or blue for trust and strength.

Refreshing your website shouldn’t be hard. 

Start by choosing one or two of the above points to tackle before the new year rolls around!