When was the last time you read your own website? Even though that seems like a simple, even a silly question, can you remember when you last read through your entire website?
If you're like most business owners, you probably haven't read through your website since the last redesign, or worse, since you first launched it several redesigns ago.
No doubt that your business has changed since your website was last launched. Here are some simple examples of things that might have changed in your store that you neglected to change online.
Store Hours
It's surprising to me how often a retail store changes their store hours but does not change those hours on their website or any other online property. Facebook, Google My Business, Yelp, and YellowPages all have listings for store hours and should be updated every time you change the hours on your website.
Inventory
The modern consumer wants to see your store inventory on your website, but unless you have an automated process of changing that inventory regularly, it will quickly become out of date. If you don't have an automated update process then I suggest only adding products to your website that you reorder all the time or products that you can have sent within 24 hours. Additionally, your website should indicate the difference between an in-stock item and those that need a lead time.
Changes in Services
While the service you provide might always be about the same, there might be subtle differences with how you provide those services. Maybe you switched from hand engraving to computerized engraving, or maybe you changed the machine used to clean jewelry. These small changes should be explained on the website.
Another service change might occur simply because you have a new employee who found a more efficient way of providing that service. Ask your employees to read the services pages on your website and make the appropriate modifications.
Change in Designers You Carry
Some retail jewelers will list all the designer lines they carry, while others list only their most important lines. Either way, make sure you keep this information updated on the website, especially when it comes to well known brands.
Do a Digital Audit
Every 3 to 6 months, you should read through every page of your website and make sure everything is still true. You could easily give this task to one of your employees and ask them if everything makes sense. Give them permission to question you about anything that they have not seen or they think is wrong.
The purpose of a website digital audit is to question the validity of the information on the site. Although grammar and spell checking is important, the digital audit is not the appropriate time for those concerns. Naturally, don't ignore those mistakes if they are noticed; just make sure the person doing the digital audit stays focused on their primary task.
As a small business owner, you probably improve upon your products and services every day -- no doubt that your website is outdated. Get in the habit of checking it at least twice every year.
