Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Website and Online Presence

Website Spring Cleaning

1. Is Your Contact Information (phone number, address, e-mail, etc.) accurate?

Your website and social media pages are the first impression potential customers have of your business. Make sure your contact information is accurate and up to date. Double-check that all phone numbers connect to the correct location and that all email addresses are routing messages properly.

2. Is your SSL Certificate Still Valid?

Website security is crucial to protect against hacking and data theft. Every website needs an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. Your website administrator can install this for you. However, SSL certificates can expire, and not all web hosting providers automatically renew them. To verify your certificate is active, look for a closed padlock icon in your browser's address bar when visiting your website.

3. Do Your Webforms Work?

It is crucial to regularly test the forms on your website to ensure they're functioning correctly. Verify that each form still works properly by sending yourself a test message through each form to confirm it reaches the intended recipient. If customer inquiries aren't reaching you because of form malfunctions, it could significantly hurt your business.

4. Do Your Links to Social Media Work?

Linking your website to your social media pages, like Facebook or YouTube, is a great way to increase traffic to those platforms. However, social media links can change over time. If you've deleted any social media accounts, be sure to remove the corresponding links from your website. It's also a good idea to double-check all your social media links periodically to ensure they're still working correctly.

5. Have Any of Your Offers or Coupons Expired?

If you offer coupons or discounts on your website, make sure they're always up-to-date. Expired coupons can make your business look unprofessional and suggest a lack of attention to detail. Even worse, customers might ask you to honor an expired offer, potentially putting you in a financially awkward position. Regularly review your website's discounts, promotions, and coupons to ensure they are current and valid.

6. Are your Pop Ups Still Relevant?

Many businesses use pop-ups on their websites to highlight sales, announce changes, or simply grab visitors' attention. While pop-ups can be useful, their purpose often has an expiration date, like a Black Friday announcement that should be removed shortly after the holiday. Just like expired coupons, outdated pop-ups can look unprofessional. Regularly review your website's pop-ups and, whenever possible, configure them with automatic deactivation dates to ensure they don't linger past their intended use.

7. Are your Social Media Posts Current?

Are you actively posting on social media? If you're not posting or sharing content at least every few weeks, consider removing the page altogether, as it's likely not benefiting your brand. Review your social media presence and ensure you're actively maintaining each platform.

8. Are Your Business Hours Accurate?

It's essential to keep your business hours accurate on your website. If they're incorrect, update them immediately. But don't stop there! Double-check your hours on all other online platforms, including social media pages and listing sites like Google Maps and Yelp. These platforms often display business hours, and outdated information can easily lead to customer confusion.

9. Do You Have Reference to COVID-19 Procedures on Your Website?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, websites became essential for communicating business operating hours and restrictions. Now that most restrictions are lifted, it's time to review your website for any remaining COVID-19 related information. Outdated references to past restrictions can make your site look outdated, so remove them promptly.

10. Are your Products and Services Up to Date?

Finally, review every page of your website, paying close attention to the products and services you advertise. Ensure that all current offerings are represented and remove any mention of discontinued or outdated items. This is a good opportunity to clean up your website's content and keep it current.