It would be great if you could create a website today and continue to have the same search engine rankings, consumer interest, and reputation a few months from now without having to do a thing. But that is not the case. What many business owners are unaware of is that the very moment their website goes live it is their responsibility to manage it. And if you want your business to succeed online, website management is essential.

Your Website is Who You Are

As you know, your website is usually the first impression potential customers have of your business and a lot can be determined by just looking at your site. It is important to have a clear strategy in place that is consistent and effective towards reaching your goals for your site. Below are a few tips that can help you get organized and keep your business website up-to-date.

Organization is Key

One of the biggest downfalls for businesses trying to manage their own website is remembering to stay organized. Keeping things in order is the only way to ensure that you’re making the necessary updates to your site as required. Here are some tips for staying organized:

• Create Folders – You should have folders on your desktop that are designated only for your website. In these folders you need to keep information such as new images, links, graphics, and anything else you might upload to your site. This makes it much easier for you to locate in the future.
• Save and Filter Emails – You’ve probably received emails about your website. Some of those emails might be in a positive manner while others might have constructive criticism. You want to keep all of these emails in their own folder for future use when making changes to your site.
• Set a Schedule – While it is true that some website changes might be needed right away, having a set schedule for making changes helps you to ensure you get everything done within a decent timeframe. Consider setting up changes weekly in the beginning and as time goes on you can start to make your site changes on a monthly basis.

Market Research is Essential

Another part of website management is ensuring your site is always up-to-date and providing your visitors with the best experience possible. Competitors are developing sites daily and if you want to stay ahead of the competition you need to be conducting audits and investing in research. Some market research tips for your site include:

• Keyword Analysis – Monitoring keyword usage on your site is crucial as search engine rankings change. While you may have had a rank of 10 for a particular keyword over the past week, you can easily be dropped to 30 without even realizing it. Doing keyword analysis often and implementing new keywords is essential.
• Site Comparison – Competition is healthy, but being left behind is never a good thing. You need to make sure that you’re implementing the right strategies to attract potential customers. Checking out competitor sites once in a while can give you ideas on what to do and what not to do for your own site.

While there are lots of website management tips out there, one of the most important aspects to remember is to constantly monitor your site. View your site from the eyes of your buyer personas. This includes checking links to make sure they work, searching through the site to see if all information is easy to find and up-to-date, and any other activities your visitors might take place in while on your site. Ensuring your visitors have a great experience when they come to your site is the key to succeeding online.

What other tips do you have for managing your business website? Share your comments below!