We build a lot of websites for clients. Sometimes we manage content after they’re built, and sometimes we train clients to manage content on their own. Either way, it’s important to keep that sparkly new website current by keeping your content up to date — a step all too many people forget.

As a content manager, I help clients update their existing websites. Here are 4 of the most common things that need to be updated regularly:

1. Employees.

The #1 request I get from clients is to add or remove old employees. Removing former employees from your website should occur immediately. You should add new employees as soon as possible, once all the applicable information is ready (bio, contact information, photo, etc). If it’s going to take a while to get everything together, post a placeholder with the new employee’s name.

2. Contact Information.

When contact information changes, there are so many places to update a new phone number or business hours that your website may be overlooked. Always make sure contact information is updated and showcased in obvious places on the website. If there is a temporary change in contact information, for example special holiday hours, be sure to put a notice on the website.

3. News and Events.

Don’t just create a new website and walk away. News and events keeps your website current. Websites can become stale if they aren’t updated with new content, and you’ll also get an SEO boost when you post more regularly. Also, updating your site weekly with news will rotate events from yesteryear off your homepage, which will save you the step of having to remove them.

4. Blog.

No matter what industry you are in, blogging is a great way to keep your consumers engaged and your website updated. Blogging provides new content and resources for visitors, and again, bumps up your web presence in search engines. At Parthenon, people from different departments contribute to the blog to keep our website fresh and keep any one person from burning out.

So today, go and check your website to make sure these items are current. We’d also recommend setting a weekly reminder for someone on your team to give the whole site a quick once-over. That will help you make edits in a timely way and keep you from getting overwhelming with having to do many content changes at once.

And as always, if you need help keeping your website fresh, give us a shout at (615) 627-2200 or hello@parthenonpub.com.