12 Days of Christmas (Tech remix) to prepare your site for 2015
So, we know we’re a little behind and there are less than 12 days left before Christmas is actually here, but as long as there are 12 days before the new year, we’re safe with this one! We thought long and hard about all the things you might need to know about your site and the web in general before taking a single breath in 2015, and we’ve come up with 12 nuggets of information as our gift to you. And yes, we sang the song while we brainstormed.
On the first day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Responsive’s the only way to be.
Phones seem to be as necessary to folks these days as the hands that hold them. No one goes anywhere without their phone, which means the content they are browsing on the web is on their phones instead of their laptops or desktops. If your site isn’t responsive then you’re providing a sub-optimal experience for your visitors on their phones or tablets. And trust me, you want (and need) to give your visitors the best.
On the second day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
We don’t mean to make your site so your clients can’t hurt themselves like baby proofing. Quite the opposite. We mean that you should go through your entire website pretending you’re a client trying to use it. Fill out the forms, place an order, make sure important information is easily navigable. If you can’t find what you need and have trouble completing the tasks you know your clients will be doing, then it’s time to rethink some content strategies.
On the third day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
It’s almost 2015, and everyone is blogging. It’s time to commit to a blog strategy and schedule and provide some fresh content to your site on a regular basis. Even if you don’t think your industry needs blogs, they do. Think of it as an educational platform making you the expert. And besides, Google likes that kind of thing. Not a writer and don’t know what to write about? We’ve got you covered. We know a thing or two about writing and content marketing.
On the fourth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
We live in a society where it takes a GPS to get people from one side of the street to the other, and websites are much harder to navigate sometimes than roads and highways. At least roads make a clear pathway to somewhere. If your visitors can’t figure out where to go and what action you want them to take on your site, then it’s definitely time to build in some good CTA’s (calls to action) so they can find their way from point A to point B and also find your site valuable.
On the fifth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
Social media is slowly and sadly starting to rule the world. Who are we kidding, “starting” is not the right word there, but either way, it’s time to jump in with both feet if you haven’t already. Create a social strategy that includes weekly posts and all the relevant platforms for your organization. This increases your reach tenfold. And it matters more than you may think. We promise.
On the sixth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
Copy gets stale after a while (kind of like gingerbread), and those people that visit your site regularly don’t want to read the same thing all the time. We don’t mean that you have to change the meaning. We’re just talking about changing up a few words or phrases a couple of times of year so that your visitors get the absolute best and most updated impression of your organization. Not to mention this is awesome for SEO purposes. Think of it like “spring cleaning” or a getting a tune-up on your car. Necessary, right?
On the seventh day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Review internal process, freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
We know your clients have requests, just like you and me. So take a few minutes and go through your internal processes for handling those when they come in. It will save you time, effort, and your clients will be happier overall because you took the time to put that little extra grease on the gears.
On the eighth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Request a website audit, review internal process, freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
We go to the doctor for a yearly checkup, so we think your website deserves the same TLC. Request a website audit or a SEO review so we can make sure your site is in tip top shape and prescribe some methods to help your site look and feel its best.
On the ninth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Update all your content, request a website audit, review internal process, freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
Pictures, sliders, videos, and other site content have a lifespan of about 6 months. Swapping them out is a quick way to make your site look different without investing in a new design just yet. If twice a year is too much to handle, we’ll whip out our best cameras, programmers, and wordsmiths and get you fixed right up.
On the tenth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Optimize for search, update all your content, request a website audit, review internal process, freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
SEO, SEO, SEO! We know it’s mentioned about as much as Santa Claus this time of year, but we believe there’s good reason for that. If your site isn’t optimized for Google and the other search engines, then your website soon becomes the Where’s Waldo of the internet. You want people to be able to find your site on the web with the least amount of effort. It’s that simple.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Claim your space with Google, update all your content, request a website audit, review internal process, freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
Google places has to know where you are, too. Well, your business at least. We call this local optimization which keeps your hours of operation, current address, images of your business, and contact information fresh as a daisy regardless of whether something changes. If you move, and you’re not locally optimized, Google will refuse to think you’ve relocated. They’re stubborn like that.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my tech team said to me…
Websites grow your business, claim your space with Google, update all your content, request a website audit, review internal process, freshen up your copy, social strat-e-gy, have great CTA’s, plan blog posts, client-proof your site, and responsive’s the only way to be.
Your website is your greatest asset and your biggest traffic driver, lead generator, and sales booster. But you have to take care of it and keep it healthy for it to function at its full potential.
We know that was a lot to take in and we crammed 12 whole days of Christmas into one, but we got to sing along together and spread some website joy! 2015 will be here before we know it, and we want you ahead of the game! Let us coach you to the best year yet! C’mon…we promise we won’t force anymore songs on you!
