What the Business Pros Know

Healthy Site, Healthy Marketing

January 1, 2024

Erica Pefferman

For any business, a website is the 24-hour digital storefront, a virtual gateway that invites visitors from around the globe, and the foundation to all marketing efforts. This is where all inbound leads are sent to and where potential clients start their review process of your business. Just like a physical space, it requires consistent care and attention to ensure it remains healthy and inviting. Maintaining the health of your website isn’t just about aesthetics; it encompasses various technical, security, and content-related aspects to ensure its optimal performance.

Regular Content Updates

Content is the heart of any website. Regularly updating your website with fresh, engaging, and relevant content is crucial to keep visitors coming back. It not only improves your site’s SEO but also shows that your platform is active and trustworthy. Consider adding blog posts, articles, or updated information about your products/services to keep your audience engaged.

Responsive Design

With the increasing use of mobile devices, ensuring your website is responsive across various screen sizes is paramount. A responsive design ensures that your site looks and functions well on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Google also prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in its search rankings, making this aspect critical for both user experience and SEO.

Optimizing Loading Speed

In the fast-paced online world, users expect websites to load quickly. Optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and using content delivery networks (CDNs) are a few strategies to enhance loading speed. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify areas for improvement.

Regular Backups

Creating regular backups of your website is like having an insurance policy. It safeguards your content and data in case of cyberattacks, server failures, or accidental data loss. Automated backups or using reliable backup plugins are recommended to ensure you have the latest version stored securely.

Security Measures

Protecting your website against cyber threats is non-negotiable. Implementing security measures such as installing SSL certificates, using strong passwords, keeping software updated, and employing security plugins can prevent hacking attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.

Monitoring and Fixing Broken Links

Broken links not only hamper user experience but also negatively impact your SEO. Regularly scanning your website for broken links and fixing them promptly maintains a seamless browsing experience for your visitors and ensures search engine crawlers can navigate your site efficiently.

Engaging with User Feedback

Listening to user feedback can provide invaluable insights into improving your website. Encourage visitors to leave comments, reviews, or suggestions. Addressing their concerns and incorporating constructive feedback shows your commitment to enhancing user experience.

Regular SEO Audits

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a continuous process. Conducting regular SEO audits helps identify areas for improvement, such as optimizing meta tags, improving keyword usage, enhancing internal linking, and ensuring proper indexing by search engines. Gone are the days of being able to build a site without a regular SEO maintenance schedule. Doing so is like buying a car but never putting fuel into it. Ranking for your desired keywords and getting on the shopping list is nearly impossible to do without a solid SEO plan in place.

In conclusion, maintaining a healthy website involves a combination of regular content updates, technical optimizations, security measures, and engaging with your audience. By dedicating time and effort to these aspects, COMO Marketing will ensure that your website remains an inviting, informative, and reliable space for visitors, ultimately contributing to its success in the digital realm and your success as a company.

Erica Pefferman
President & Owner — **Erica Pefferman**
President & Owner

Erica Pefferman is the owner and president of COMO Companies, which owns and operates COMO Magazine, COMO Business Times, COMO Marketing, and COMO Tickets. Erica shares her love of Columbia with the people she serves with on a multitude of boards including the Chamber of Commerce. In 2017, Erica was named Outstanding Business Woman of the year and her team was named the Columbia Chamber Of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year.