Spring is here, even though the freshly fallen snow outside my window isn’t really convincing me of that. The changing of the seasons is a great reminder that everything needs a fresh look and new perspective. One of things that you should take a close look at is your WordPress website.
WordPress is constantly being updated for both increased functionality and to close any security breaches. With each new update plugins and themes are also updated to work with the new version of WordPress. It can be a lot to keep up with. It is never fun to login into the admin of your site though and see this:
It is really important to update to a version of WordPress that is 3.7 or later. This update enabled auto updates for minor and security updates. Definitely nice to not have to worry about things. If WordPress is in need of an update, backup your site first and then click update now.
While in the Dashboard it is also a great idea to update any of the plugins or themes that you are using. When you update WordPress, they may not work with the new version perfectly. A good plugin developer will keep their plugins up to date.
I also like to do a mini site audit while this is all going on. Here are some of the questions that I ask myself. Is there something about the site that I don’t like? Is it time to update the theme? Move some things around? Are there any new plugins out there that may increase the functionality of my site? What is working really well? What are some of the most popular pages and posts? Can I build on those things?
Take a look at your site with a critical eye. Is the navigation easy to understand and follow? Will people know within a few minutes of visiting what your website it about? Look at the footer and make sure there are not any weird links. This can be common in free themes and you really don’t want to have a link to something you don’t approve of on every page of your site.
Do you have an about page, a privacy policy, and a disclosure page? Is there an easy way for your readers and visitors to contact you? Do any of these pages need an update? Read up on how to build a great contact page and about page for ideas and then implement them.
Are you collecting email addresses and building a list? This is so important. Out of every channel available to you, this is the one thing that you can own and control. Definitely pick an email provides such as Aweber, MailChimp, or Constant Contact. Create an opt-in offer to give your readers an incentive to sign up.
Doing some spring cleaning on your website is definitely not an easy task and it will take a bit of time, but it will be highly worth it. You will increase the number of visits to your website, as well as engagement.
Share some of the things that you like to do on a semi-regular basis to keep your website up to date in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!
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