11 Simple Website Tips To Keep Things Looking Fresh & New

Is your website feeling a little stale or outdated? When I build sites for clients, my hope is they will evolve and grow as their business does. So, if you’ve invested in a great website, often a complete overhaul isn’t the answer. There are other ways to make your tired-looking website feel fresh again. Here are my simple website tips for keeping your website looking its best – without a redesign!

Simple Website Tips for Service-Based Businesses

1. Refresh your testimonials⁠ – adding different testimonials on your website or simply updating the order in which they appear will give an immediate update to your site. Also, these don’t have to be new! Recycling past testimonials are absolutely ok and fully encouraged. ⁠

2. Update the images on your website. Swapping out the header image is quick and easy to do while also making a big impact! Pick one or two photos on your website right now and change them to something new. If you’re stuck on where to get photos, my favourites are Social Squares (of which I’m a proud affiliate & member FYI) and Unsplash.

3. Similar to tip number 2, update your picture galleries. Again, this can be as simple as rearranging the order of the photos that are already there. Or, if you have some new galleries to add, do that too!

4. Review your services and package descriptions. As your business grows, it’s only natural that your services may evolve and change too. ⁠Is everything still accurate? Are there offerings that no one ever seems to purchase? Now might be a good time to also simplify and remove anything from your business that isn’t serving you anymore.

5. Have you been featured or quoted somewhere worth mentioning? ⁠ Media mentions are a great way to build credibility in your industry so they should absolutely be celebrated & shared!⁠ Update this section by adding anything new or add one to your website if you didn’t already have it.

6. Add any new portfolio⁠ content. I try to do this every time I wrap up a project so it’s always up to date. It’s built into my project workflow steps & ensures I’m always highlighting my recent, most favourite work. ⁠

Have an Online Shop? Here Are Some Simple E-commerce Specific Website Tips Just for You!

7. Use an announcement bar at the top of your website to share what’s new. These are typically always seen on e-commerce websites but I think service providers should use them too!

Share a quick piece of news like:

• display holiday hours or closures
• announce a promotion or sale
• showcase new offerings or items
• drive traffic to a new piece of content like a podcast episode or blog post or
• get opt-ins by sharing freebies to build that email list!

8. Change up your collection featured images. Depending on your website design, these images will often appear on your home page or at the top of the collection page. They might still be set to older items in your store, so don’t forget to update this seasonally.

9. Highlight a new seasonal collection. Create a section showing off what’s new in your shop. This could be a new section on the home page or a quick update to your navigation or announcement bar.

10. Update your navigation so seasonal items are quick & easy to find. What are your customers currently shopping for? Make sure they are easy to find with the click of a button.

11. Along the theme of tips 9 and 10, update the call to action or website copy on the header of your home page. Invite online shoppers to explore products on your site through your words. Again, think about what they might be looking for and invite them to see what you have to offer.

Getting some ideas? Good!

Remember, refreshing your website doesn’t necessarily mean you need to find new content to share. Just like swapping out your wardrobe with the season or updating your interior by moving a piece of art or an accessory, little changes will keep your website looking fresh & up to date. Which simple website tips are you excited to try? ⁠