When you’re a small business owner, it’s likely much of your week is dedicated to serving your clients well through the products or services your business has to offer. With such full days, working both in and on your business can be challenging to do. So, when you do have an opportunity to work on your business, what should your priority be?

Personally, we’re firm believers in how your web design can make a meaningful difference in the way your business is perceived — how your visitors sense and feel your values and value, the connection your visitors can form with you and your business — and ultimately, how likely your visitors are to confidently choose to book your services or purchase your products.

So, today, we’re excited to share 10 ways to update your website with intention. That way, if you have a spare moment to work on your business, and you’d like to update your website with purpose, you can do so knowing your website is working effectively on your behalf — helping you to better connect with your visitors and grow your business.

10 Ways to Update Your Website with Intention

I want to begin today’s episode by mentioning, before making small-scale updates to your website, it can be helpful to determine whether your business is in need of a completely new brand design or web design. That way, you don’t feel as though you’re piecing together elements of what your web design has been and elements of what you’d like your web design to become. In Episode 013 we share 3 ways to know you’re ready to hire a web designer, in Episode 051, we share how to know whether you should pursue a customizable website template or hire a web designer, and in Episode  077, we share a few questions to ask yourself when you’re hoping to overhaul your web design. 

So, once you’ve determined making web design updates is aligned with your goals, what should those web design updates be? Here are 10 purpose-driven updates you can make:

1. Ensure your color palette and font styles are cohesive. Over the years, we’ve spoken to many creative small business owners who simply love making small updates to the color palette and font styles used within their web design. Over time, though, such changes can cause a design to look and feel less cohesive. So, take a moment to ensure you are using the same selection of colors and font styles. When you do, your design will appear fresh, polished, and more elevated, too.
2. Ensure your brand elements are infused throughout your website. While your primary logo design is likely used within your web design, what other elements of your brand design can you infuse throughout your web design? At With Grace and Gold, we use secondary logo designs and patterns or textures to ensure our clients’ designs feel beautifully-branded, original, and experience-driven. With brand elements used throughout your website, you can create a more established, credible online presence. 
3. Consider using movement, detail, and texture to create an experience-driven web design. We believe your web design should feel like the client experience you provide — personal, engaging, detailed, and elevated. That way, when prospective clients choose to reach out and connect with you, they’re experiencing personal touches every step of the way. 
4. Review your copywriting. Not only is it helpful to review your copywriting for proper spelling and grammar, but it’s also helpful to review your copywriting to confirm all of the details of your offerings are up-to-date. 
5. Update your photography and videography. Add new photography and videography to your website, to ensure what is being showcased through your website is the best representation of the quality and caliber of your work. 
6. Double-check all links. Confirm all of the links within your website are in working order, leading your visitors where they’d like to go. 
7. Ensure your navigation menu is as user-friendly as can be. Your navigation menu really is the roadmap for how your visitors will use and engage with your business. We recommend ensuring the revenue-generating areas of your business have top priority, because really, that’s what your web design is all about — helping your visitors find the content they are looking for, and leading and guiding your visitors toward your products and services. 
8. Curate your Portfolio. We believe your Portfolio should be a curated collection of your best work or the type of work you’d like to do more of. Can your Portfolio be pared down or better organized? 
9. Update your blog content. Your blog is the perfect place to share recent work not showcased in your blog, to demonstrate your expertise, and to better serve and connect with your audience. Consider creating a blog content creation plan or schedule, so you can keep this SEO-boosting area of your website up-to-date.
10. Review your design on Desktop, Laptop, and and Mobile devices. Review your design on a wide variety of devices, to ensure every detail looks polished and is user-friendly, too!

Today, we shared 10 ways to update your website with intention — so you can rest assured your website is working effectively on your behalf, helping you to better connect with your visitors and grow your business.

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, and founders. Weekly, brief, actionable episodes will equip you to build a successful, sustainable small business. Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided award-winning custom brand and Showit web design and completely customizable Showit website templates for small businesses worldwide.