Content
- How often should I update my website content?Change facts the day they change: hours, holiday closures, services, staff and phone numbers. Read your main pages as a customer would every few months. Add a new useful page when you have something real to say, which for many small businesses is once or twice a month. Changing dates or words just to look fresh doesn't help.
- Should my business website have a blog?Only if someone will keep it useful. A blog with three posts from years ago makes a business look closed. For most small businesses, a set of pages that each answer one real customer question works better than a news-style blog. Add posts when you have real news, real projects or real answers to share.
- Can I use photos I found on Google on my website?Usually not. In the US, a photo is protected by copyright from the moment it's taken, with or without a notice, and Google Images doesn't give you permission to use it. Use your own photos, licensed stock, or images whose license clearly allows business use, and keep a record of where each image came from.
- Should I use stock photos or my own photos on my website?Use your own photos wherever customers will judge you by them: your team, your work, your premises and your products. Real photos show who they'll deal with and what you deliver. Stock photos are fine for backgrounds and general ideas, but they shouldn't pretend to be your people, your place or your results.
- What should go on my home page?Your home page should answer three questions on the first screen: what you do, who and where you serve, and how to reach you. Below that, show proof such as reviews and photos of real work, then clear links to each main service. Leave off sliders, vague slogans and pop-ups that hide the message.