If there’s one thing I wish more business owners understood, it’s this: a website doesn’t stay “done.”
Design trends change. Your customers change. What you offer changes. And underneath all that, there’s a whole layer of software just doing its thing…until one tiny update decides to take down half a page.
Fun stuff.
Luckily, keeping your website healthy doesn’t mean rebuilding the whole thing every year. What you do need is a simple plan to help you tackle the updates that really help with search engine optimization, conversions, and overall user satisfaction.
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This guide goes through the 12 website updates that every business owner should make, in the order I recommend tackling them. If you’ve ever looked at your site and thought, “I know this needs work, I just don’t know where to start,” this one’s for you.
#1 Start with Your Audience (They Decide Everything)
Before touching your layout, your colors, or any fancy tools, take a minute to look at who is using your site right now. Your target audience changes over time: new customers show up, old ones drift away, and what they want from you shifts.
A quick reset helps you see:
- Are you still speaking to the right people?
- Does your site answer the questions they’re actually asking today?
- Does it guide them toward the next logical step?
This one tweak alone stops you from wasting hours “fixing” things that aren’t broken, or worse, polishing things no one cares about.
#2 Give Your Content & SEO a Proper Refresh
Most sites have pages that haven’t been touched since launch. And you can tell.
Go through your content like a customer seeing it for the first time, and check:
Old Content
Is it still accurate? Still helping you show up in search engines? Still something you’d proudly share?
Your Copy
Does it sound like you? Does it make sense? Is your website content structured in a way that’s easy to read?
Your Best Pages
Every site has a few “workhorse” pages: usually the homepage, your services, and 1–2 high-traffic posts. Keep these extra sharp.
Small updates – like rewriting intros, updating stats, fixing formatting, or improving your page titles and meta descriptions – can improve your search engine rankings without a major redesign.
#3 Fix the Little Things Annoying People on Your Web Pages
I promise you: every website has something that isn’t working right.
Broken links. Old buttons that lead nowhere. A testimonial slider that stopped sliding in 2022. A layout that collapses weirdly on mobile devices.
These things sound small, but they tank user engagement faster than anything else. Grab a website monitoring tool or run a manual sweep to find:
- Broken links
- Missing images
- Outdated information
- Small layout shifts
- Dead forms
If something feels “off,” your customers are definitely noticing it, too.
#4 Look at Your Analytics & Make Data-Based Tweaks
Now that the basics are cleaned up, it’s time to see what’s actually working.
This is where your website data comes in. Look at:
- Which pages people leave quickly
- Where they scroll the most
- What they click (and don’t click)
- Which pages bring in leads
- What search engines are ranking you for
You don’t need complicated project management tools for this – Google Analytics and Search Console are enough. Once you’re clear on what’s doing well and what isn’t, you can make smart website updates that improve user engagement.
#5 Tighten Up Your Security & Maintenance Routine
Security. It’s the least glamorous part of website management, but the one that saves you the most headaches.
If your site runs on a content management system like WordPress, you have to keep it up-to-date. Not just the core software, but your plugins, main theme, everything.
Updates often fix vulnerabilities, and ignoring them leaves the door open for malware. Even one outdated plugin can cause major trouble, so keep things fresh and remove anything you’re not using.
While you’re at it, double-check your backups. If something goes sideways, having a clean copy of your site is a lifesaver.
#6 Improve Your Website Speed
We’ve all left a slow site within seconds. Your customers are no different.
If your site loads slowly, you’re losing people before they even see your homepage.
Some easy things that make your site faster:
- Compress your images
- Remove old scripts
- Switch to faster hosting
- Use performance plugins wisely
This is one of the few updates that directly affects conversions and your search engine visibility. Don’t skip it.
#7 Make Sure Your Site Works Everywhere
More than half your traffic is probably coming from phones or tablets, sometimes more.
Pull up your site on a few different mobile devices and actually try to use it.
Does the menu work?
Can you tap the buttons without zooming in?
Is the layout readable?
If the answer is no, you’re annoying the hell out of people. And, trust me, they won’t come back.
#8 Check Your Accessibility Basics
A lot of people hear the word “accessibility” and immediately think it’s some huge technical project. It’s really not. It’s just making sure your site works for everyone, including people with disabilities.
A few things that make a big difference:
- Add clear image alt text
- Use headings that follow a logical order
- Make sure your colors have enough contrast
- Check that keyboard users can reach everything
- Make sure your form labels don’t disappear
Want more advice on this?
Read my explainer on what accessible web design really means.
Download my free guide: “Accessible Web Design: Tips to Create an Inclusive Experience.”
#9 Get User Feedback from Real Humans
Analytics tell you what people do. User feedback tells you why they do it.
A few questions to ask customers:
- “Was anything confusing?”
- “Where did you hesitate?”
- “What were you looking for but couldn’t find?”
- “How was the checkout/form/book-a-call flow?”
You can gather user feedback through surveys, a simple form on your site, or even casual chats. You’ll learn things no tool could ever tell you.
#10 Freshen Up Your Visuals
Most people don’t realize how much a more visually appealing website changes the way customers feel about your business.
A few signs it’s time for a refresh:
- Your photos look like they were taken in a different decade
- Screenshots include old pricing, old designs, or old branding
- Graphics no longer match the rest of your visual style
- Your competitors’ sites suddenly look more “current” and visually appealing than yours
Even if your design still feels current, chances are your images don’t. Updating your visuals gives your whole site a fresh feel without needing a redesign.
#11 Update Services, Product Info & Key Pages
Your website should reflect the business you run today, not the one you had two years ago.
Ask yourself:
- Are your offers still accurate?
- Do your prices match what you charge now?
- Has your process changed?
- Do your FAQs still answer real questions clients ask you today?
- Does your portfolio show your best, most current work?
This is one of the fastest ways to increase conversions. When your content feels fresh, honest, and up-to-date, people trust you more.
#12 Make Sure Your Tracking Tools Still Work
This one gets overlooked constantly.
Your tracking tools (things like your analytics, pixels, and conversions) break more often than you’d think. Anytime you redesign something, change hosting, or update plugins, something might stop recording.
Before wrapping up your yearly updates, check that:
- GA4 is actually collecting data
- Search Console is indexing the right pages
- Your conversion events (forms, calls, purchases) are firing
- Your contact form still sends emails where they’re supposed to go
- Your CRM or newsletter tools are still connected
Want us to take care of those website updates for you?
Most people think updating a website means a full redesign. It doesn’t.
Successful website updates are the small, consistent improvements that keep your content, design, and functionality aligned with what your audience needs today. If you’d like help putting a plan together or knocking out a few priority fixes, reach out anytime.
