Maintaining a website
May 31st, 2011If you are serious about what you do, you really need a website. If you are technically savvy, you can create a new website in a day. Now, it will probably take longer if you want to make a good website, complete with pictures of your work, and content that will both help people find you and decide to book you for their event. If you are not technically savvy, find someone who can build and help you maintain your website. Once your website is up and running, it is all to easy to move on to another project and forget about it.
Personally, I think that one of the most important things about a website is that it is up to date. I have visited way too many websites that list an “upcoming event” that is a year or more ago. I guess that event didn’t go well and they are now out of business… More likely, the event went well and they just don’t have time to think about and update their website.
I have several personal websites and I manage the websites for several groups. It takes me time to get around to updating all of those websites. I have linked a few websites to facebook, and since facebook is easier to update, the net effect is that the website also has access to newer content. I know that I am not following my own advice because I have told many people that facebook should send people to your website and not the other way around. I am taking the easy route and using my website to lead people to facebook.
In an ideal world, every month, you should review your website to make sure it is up to date and selling your services. If it isn’t, make the needed changes.
You should also check out your competition. What do you like or not like about their websites? Are there ideas that you can use to improve your own website. Please don’t steal their content, but use it as inspiration.
If you haven’t visited your own website in a while, go take a look and see what needs updating.