Keeping up with the times is important. These are five reasons why you may need a little freshening up when it comes to your website.

2009 is so last year

It’s a new decade and it’s time to bring your online identity up-to-date. Potential clients and customers want newer and more advanced functionality than they did just a couple years ago. Don’t let business slump because your competition has the web wrapped around their finger and you don’t.

Search Engine Optimization

If you can’t be found by a simple query on a popular search engine, you’re losing potential business. Potential customers and clients want to quickly and efficiently find products and/or services. Providing search engines with a few words or short phrases that describe your business and/or your industry could make the difference in your bottom line.

Simple is beautiful

Gone are the days of hefty splash screens and welcome pages. Animation has its place, but don’t let it bloat your whole site. The average attention span of humans is about 8 seconds. On the web, it’s even less. Let an attractive, simple, intuitive site guide users to what they want with minimal effort on their part.

CMS

You’re more likely to keep your site updated if it’s easy to do. A content management system like ExpressionEngine or WordPress may be the answer. Quick edits to content or extensive changes to layout are easy with a CMS.

Utilize Social Media

People are talking about you. Use it to your advantage. Integrate some sort of social media into your site. A Facebook page or twitter feed on your site shows that you appreciate customer feedback and want a personal relationship with them.