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It seems like
some websites are changing as often as every few
minutes. And while this seems to make sense for news
sites and those that want to provide readers with up to
date information, does this necessarily make sense for
your business website? You want to show your visitors
that you're constantly innovating your business, but at
the same time, does changing all the time seem like you
just can't make up your mind about what you have to
offer? Here's what you need to think about before you
build your business website.
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The Case for
Change
There is certainly something to be said for always being
fresh and new. When your visitors are looking for the
latest and greatest fads in clothing, for example, you
need to be able to deliver these trends as soon as
they're on the red carpet or the runway. Change also
shows your visitors that you are always looking out for
them and their needs. You can include a daily blog, for
example, that gives up to date information on the state
of affairs in your business or perhaps on trends in the
products you are selling. You might also want to keep a
streaming band of words across your website to show
updates on things like interest rates or stock market
quotes. By keeping your website alive with new
information, your visitors will see that you're
interested in the long term health of your company.
The Case for Keeping Things the Same
On the other hand, you also might want to look into
keeping your website the same most of the time. While
there will be a need to change things up from time to
time as things are out of date, keeping the basic setup
of your website can help regular visitors feel like you
are consistent and easy to keep up with. When you're
always changing things, a customer can become confused
as to how to do things on your site or whether or not
your site is something they should spend time on.
The Verdict: It Depends on Your Customer Base
In the end, the case for change will largely depend on
whether or not your customers are looking for constant
updates. And this depends on your business focus. If you
are trying to give your customers up to date gossip,
yes, you will need to change your site a lot. But if you
offer the same products over the course of a month,
there's really no need to change your website until you
change your stock.
There will always be times when you will need to change
your website – as in when you introduce a new item or
you discontinue an item or pricing scheme. But the
overall consensus is that you might want to keep the
basic structure for return visitors to your site.
Introducing Change to Your Visitors
If you plan on changing your website significantly, you
might want to let your customers know well in advance of
the actual change. This will give you time to get
feedback on your changes as well as help you roll out
your new look with minimal problems and concerns. Post a
'sign' on your website about the upcoming change and
then provide a link to how the new website will look.
Giving visitors a list of the changes they can expect to
see will also help them see what they will notice when
you eventually follow through.
Change is good, but when it scares away customers, it's
not always the best idea. However, you also don't want
to keep your website up for so long that you begin to
seem outdated. Changing things up every season is a
reasonable schedule without being too confusing for
visitors.
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