How To Avoid Dead, Dying Or Stagnant Web Content

Part of the appeal of visiting a website or blog is the pleasure of knowing that when you get there, you will find something useful to make it worth your while.
This is particularly true of websites or blogs that you visit more than once, and as a repeat visitor, you will also be looking for new content to keep you informed or entertained.
Now turn the spotlight on your own website. It is not unreasonable for visitors to your website or blog to expect the same things you do when you are browsing other websites.
Breathe life into your content
Give your website a new lease of life by making sure that your content, and by content I mean all the parts that make up your website – copy, images, functionality – does not go stale, stagnant or die.
Whether you are offering items for sale, online services, news content or event information, to name but a few, as the owner of your website you must give your visitors a good reason to visit, return to your site and stay on it for a longer time.
To achieve this, keep your website nourished. And nourishment starts with planning.
Know when to review and refresh your content
First, draw up a plan or content update schedule using a paper or electronic diary, whichever method works best for you.
This plan will act as your prompt for when you need to revise certain pages, sections or areas of text on your website. Include other refresh activities in your plan – such as a site redesign that you may decide to do every couple of years, for example so that your website doesn’t look dated.
Start your planning by making a note of dates or times of year when specific activities relating to your website or business take place. For example, if September marks the start of your seasonal events calendar, you should schedule in regular content refresh activities over the summer months and throughout the month of September.
Your content refresh schedule should include adding new blog posts – on a daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis – and sticking to that schedule as much as possible.
Quick how to guide
Revise and update your website and blog pages and revise and check your links – especially links to websites over which you have control (because domain names can and do change hands and links to unsuitable sources can dent your website’s image).
Check – or upgrade the functionality you offer; for example does your newsletter sign-up form still work? It could be the reason why you haven’t had any newsletter sign-ups in a while.
Equally, if you have too much extra content or functionality that isn’t working or is not used, don’t be afraid to ditch it or replace it with something else that you know your customers would prefer.
Finally, include images in your refresh schedule. For example, regularly replace your portfolio images with newer examples of your work. This is a great way to show how your work is evolving as websites evolve and your customers’ tastes change.