We are Christina and Peter Pilarski, founders and leaders of CIPR Communications.

In the previous episode, we spoke about the importance of website maintenance. In this episode, we take that discussion one step further and explain how to keep improving your website. It is not enough to keep it running at the same level. Standing still is the same as going backwards, especially in the world of digital marketing! You need to ensure that you always offer a better user experience than your competitors, and that requires a willingness to improve things as you go. Digital marketing is a practice of continuous, incremental improvement. You will never achieve perfection – all you can do is stay on top of the latest developments and always ensure that your website and other platforms are the best they can be in a given moment.

We often draw an analogy between a website and a home. When you buy a home, you generally don’t wait until you’ve done all your desired improvements and upgrades until you move in. You live in the home and make incremental changes as you go. The curtains or carpets may not be ideal, but you can live with them for a while until you have the time or budget to replace them. We recommend a similar approach with your website. You don’t have to reach some ideal of perfection before you launch. Get it to the point where it looks good and does all the essential things you need it to, then launch it. You can then make gradual improvements, tweaks and upgrades at various points in the future. In life, in business, and your digital marketing, it is best never to operate with an “all-or-nothing” mentality. Web development gives you the space to run a website successfully and make improvements as you go.

One of the best ways to gauge the performance of your website and see what needs to be improved – and when – is through SEO. Your performance in search will give you an indication of how well your website is doing compared to others in your field. Competitive analysis can also help you to know where you stand and make the necessary improvements. If you don’t stay on top of the gradual improvements you need to remain competitive, you quickly find yourself lagging behind. The improvements you need to make will differ depending on your business and your website’s relative merits compared to others in your industry. The important thing is to understand that improvement is necessary and to continue monitoring your website and its performance, and being willing to make the required changes.

Find out more about CIPR Communications‘ approach to web design services by listening to the seventh series of our podcast. For more information about website maintenance, as well as all other aspects of website design, from site maps to website development, as well as content marketing, SEO and other services, read our blog, listen to our other podcast episodes, or contact us.