Taking Steps Toward Your Website Goals

Many people made New Year's resolutions at the beginning of the year, but around this time, their goals seem distant. You haven't used your gym membership in three weeks, and you're hitting snooze on the alarm again. We lose track of time, and before we even realize, you're far from accomplishing your goals. But, if you have an established plan to follow, you can get right back on track!

Website goals can be the same way. When you first set out to create a website, you should set up one year, five year and ten-year goals. At least once a year, you should return to these goals and reevaluate them. You may have changed your business focus or the goals you set don't seem to be working. For whatever reason, it's crucial to take time to determine if you are on track. If you're not, put a new one-year plan in place that will move your business toward your long-term goals. The process does not have to be time-consuming or stressful, and with these steps, we're hoping it won't be.

Look Over Your Present Plan

You won't know where you stand until you test your current plan. Did your website do what you wanted it to this past year? If your goal was to increase the number of people on your email list, how close to that number did you get? Did the website bring you the number of new sales in which you were aiming? If your site didn't perform quite as planned, examine it closer and see what changes you need for the coming year. If your goals were too high, it is also possible that your focus was a bit off and needs tweaking. It could be that the audience you were aiming for was entirely off target. This could mean you may need a new marketing strategy, and if you don’t have one in place, think about the possible benefits marketing could have on your company. If you can, have an honest friend check your website with the new goals in mind and see what they think.

Update Social Media

You have remained active on social media throughout the year. Now you need to ask yourself if you are focusing on the right venues. Update your social media to share the goals you've reached in the past year, and the goals you are planning. Reach out to your followers and ask them for feedback. Let your followers see you as someone who plans on moving forward and taking them with you. Is there a different social media site that might serve your needs better? Consider venturing out into these new waters in search of more contacts.

Look Toward the New

The Internet is always changing. Not only do websites come and go, but advances in tech update at a rapid pace. Have you kept up with tech changes that will make your site easier and more user-friendly? Now is the perfect time to decide if new trends will be of benefit and get them in place. What are experts predicting will be the upcoming trends? Try to get ahead of the crowd so you will have an advantage over competitors. At the same time, keep in mind that adopting every trend may be too much of an undertaking.

Redesign As Needed

Now that you have the technical things in place, it is time to look at the design of your website. Are the colors out of date? How long has it been since you added new content or refreshed the content that you already have posted? Have you added new content to reflect current trends? Doing this may also increase the view count to your site. Now is the time to think about rewording and updating this content. Can you place your CTAs in a better position that will make them easier to see? Go over your entire site and ask yourself if each page is relevant. Then check that all links are still in working order and look into other ways to bring value to visitors. Make those changes now.

Moving Forward

Now that you have looked at what worked last year and what didn't, you have an excellent basis for this year's goals. Make any necessary changes, have others look at your site with fresh eyes, and get ready to move forward. Congratulate yourself on the progress you've made already! The majority of sites started a year ago are not even active today. Then, tighten your suspenders and dive into what could be your best year yet.