What Happens When Your Website is Nobody's Baby

strategy

Oct 17

Neglected websites. You know them when you see them, don’t you? They are visually unappealing. They don’t answer your questions. They don’t work well with your phone, or sometimes they just don’t work. There could be several reasons why a website falls into neglect. The company may have spent a lot of money creating the site – years ago -- and thinks that it should last a long, long time. There might not be anyone in-house who knows how to work with the site because special software or knowledge of coding is needed.

Even when website neglect is acknowledged, management might not have the time or expertise to devote to a website update and ongoing digital marketing. Whatever the reason, failure to care for your company website leads to missed opportunities and could even hurt your business.

It’s Your Brand Whether You Admit It or Not

You only have one chance to make a first impression and presenting visitors with an out-of-date website is a reason for them to move on. The experience people have on your website helps to establish your credibility and gives them a feel for the kind of company you are.

Some people might even associate the quality of your website with their expectation for the quality of your product or service. A modern, up-to-date website is your opportunity to start growing good feelings about your brand and invites people to engage with your company through your content.

Google Knows You Better Than You Know Yourself

Google is looking for the most relevant content to meet search queries and if you haven’t updated your website for months or years, there’s probably another website that has and it will do better in search results. Google also knows if your website is optimized for mobile or not, and if you are hosting through a secure connection. These are factors that feed into your ability to be found in search.

A well nurtured website is going to grow its influence with Google when it is technically sound, and when it is consistently updated with new content that people find useful.

Missed Sales Opportunities

If your website is neglected, it’s not helping you to attract prospective customers and guide them through their buying journey. B2B buyers are looking for the same kind of digital experiences that they have in their personal lives. They want websites that will inform and educate them on the solutions to their problems and help them to take the next step, all with an experience that is suited to their device.

Modern websites are designed to use content as well as specific calls-to-action and forms to capture contact info so that leads can be nurtured until they are sales ready. If you aren’t doing this now, chances are good that your competitors are, and that could mean lost sales for you.

Hackers Love Your Out-of-Date Website

Outdated software is an open door for hackers who want to do harm to you and the people who visit your website. Unbeknownst to you, your obsolete website could be dropping malware onto the computers of people who visit your site. Some hackers will hold your site for ransom, or make changes to it just to show the world they conquered you.

Managing the risk of cyberattack is not optional. In addition to costs to clean up after an attack, your reputation could be severely damaged. Trust is the foundation for lasting business relationships and your out-of-date website poses risks that can and should be avoided.

Make Your Website Somebody’s Baby

Just as you wouldn’t trust the care of your child in the hands of someone who is not trained and experienced in childcare, you don’t want your website overseen by someone in your company who doesn’t have training and experience in marketing strategy and tactics. Your website could be the hub of your marketing, working for you to:

Position your company as a solution provider
Differentiate you from your competitors
Communicate your value proposition
Tell your unique business stories
Enable sales and improve customer service

Make your website and marketing strategy somebody's baby. Contact me to explore how you can improve the results you get from your marketing.

Lori Creighton

I work with small businesses to improve their recruiting outcomes by creating an 'always on' employer brand. By shifting from job-specific promotions to a value-driven message based on employee experiences, a brand narrative is crafted that resonates with what employees value most in their workplace. Eager to share what I’ve learned, I offer my insights and strategies to marketing peers through resources and courses, designed to enhance their employer branding efforts and integrate recruitment marketing into their skill set.