Every website will occasionally need a buff up. As the whole point of a cost effective online presence is to spend as little as possible, using a free website builder is an excellent way to save money when in the start-up phase. But even when your business is on a more solid footing, there is no benefit to spending time and money redesigning your site from scratch if you can help it.
Here are 5 ways to breathe new life into your online presence – without breaking the bank:
Change the content
Something as simple as rewriting your content and presenting it in a new font will give a whole new look to your website. You don’t have to keep all of the pages in the same font, however. You could use different fonts for different sections, but make sure that they are visually complementary and easy to read. Remember, it doesn’t matter if a website is a veritable kingdom of bells and whistles, shiny aesthetics can never substitute for poorly written content, so check that your text is concise and grammatically correct.
Use a new template
If you are using a content management system such as WordPress, consider changing your template. Each template – particularly with WordPress – comes with a different layout, and a large range of options for widgets and add-ons. Just by choosing a three column layout rather than a two, for example, you will substantially change the look of your site at no cost, and it will help you to refresh your whole look without resorting to a costly designer.
Change the aesthetics
Whether you choose to change the template, or simply want to refresh the current format, changing the colour scheme, replacing the banner or changing any images can revitalise your website. By changing the header, or fixing a sidebar, you can change the look and layout immeasurably. Changing the navigation systems will also change the visual impact of a website: if each related page is reset to be sub-sectioned under a ‘parent’ the process of navigating and sourcing information may be much more intuitive.
Use social media
Social media has become a ubiquitous tool in websites and for an online presence. Just by adding Web 2.0 elements – such as an RSS button and embedding a Twitter feed – audience awareness of updated information will become immediate. If you already have these elements in place, consider using a new icon for each one (there are a variety available so that you can choose the size or design that you prefer), and move them around the page to make the site look new. Putting them near your new header will be more likely to catch a visitor’s eye, and boost the likelihood of them sharing, commenting or following you.
Don’t damage the existing SEO
When updating any textual content be careful not to change any of the useful keywords such as Title Tags or Meta Descriptions. Use Google Analytics to find out what the most effective content phrases have been and make sure to leave them intact or, rather than refreshing, you will be rebuilding SEO from scratch.
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