The World Wide Web is a dynamic medium, enabling you to update the content of your website at any time. Site visitors and search engines both value frequently updated web pages. Adding new or updated material increases the “stickiness” of your site, giving viewers a reason to return frequently. Google and other search engines love fresh content. So here are some ideas for freshening your site:

• Get Social! If you don’t have links to your social networks, it’s time to add them. They can be easily integrated, and will liven up your website with some color. More importantly, they enable visitors to connect with you via the social networks you are using.
   
• Get Blogging! If you don’t already have a blog, add one! If you already have one, use it! If you are a small business or entrepreneur, and have an HTML site, consider using Wordpress. It is easy to setup and customize. PA Server Net can help you setup and install a customized WordPress site for less than $800.
   
• Freshen Up Your Color Palette. If you already have a branded color palette, are you using it? If not, get out the pantone colors you originally selected and start using them. You can select photos, treat fonts of headings, special interest text etc. A little bit of color goes a long way in improving user experience and click thru ratios. Use color to guide your viewers to the most important content.
   
• Freshen up Content! If you haven’t updated your content since you built your site a year ago, or even in the last few months, it’s time! Take a walk thru your own website, pretending to be a member of each of your target audiences. Or ask a friend to do this. Count the number of click-thrus it takes a user to get to the recommended content. Chances are you have content that could be removed, thus improving user experience. If your marketing strategy or product portfolio has evolved, be sure to update content to reflect your most recent information.
   
• Add Photos! If you don’t have pics of your team, your customers or your partners, take some! Photos are great to highlight your customers and give them some free visibility, as well as help prospects and customers get to know your better.
   
• Add Video! It’s easy to leverage video to maximize your site search engine optimization and inspire visitors! If you don’t have a video camera, you can get one for less than $200! The key with social videos: don’t over plan them. Keep them real and fun! Setup a YouTube channel. Add all of your videos on YouTube, then link these from your site!
   
• Check for Consistency! This is a simple step to improve readibility and increase return visits to your site. If your pages are inconsistent, they are more difficult to read and can frustrate viewers. Check for consistency with fonts, font treatments, colors, paragraph spacing, and placement of graphics.
   
• Optimize for Conversion. If you don’t have a list of objectives for your site, create one! Ensure your top objectives are being met. A top objective for most website owners is to build a subsciber list. Ensure your opt-in list is easy to see and works easily. Your main objectives should be viewable from the home page, or should be 1 click away!
   
• Get Real! Assess the tone of your content. Do you sound too corporate? Just because your site is for business, it doesn’t mean you can’t be inspiring. Focus on core objectives and talk to your customers like they are your friends. Say what you would if you were talking face to face.
   
• Add Audio. Record short audio clips. They can be as simple as a weekly update, tips on using your products or services, or a highlighted customer or project. Add these clips to your website or blog, and also post them to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
   
• Update your Website Theme. WordPress makes it fairly easy to update your theme, as well as providing a great blogging and content management tool. There are many great free and premium themes. Making the switch to a WordPress-based site will give you more control and the ability to easily update your content without needing extensive technical skills. Contact me by email or call 215-780-1993 if you are ready to take this step.
   

Remember, the best way to build a brand and a loyal following is to inspire and connect with your target audiences. Don’t just focus on the objective of closing a sale. Focus on how you make your customers feel with every contact, including a visit to your website. Maximize each and every opportunity as if it were your first and last!

The Norristown Small Business Assistance Center (NSBAC) is a unique partnership of the municipality of Norristown and the Widener University Small Business Development Center, working together to help small business in Norristown. The NSBAC is funded by a federal grant that provides free consulting and educational services to qualifying clients. If you are planning to start a business, or need assistance solving a problem facing your current business, a qualified NSBAC consultant is ready to meet with you one-on-one to help you launch your business, discuss your business plan, or help you develop the new strategies to meet your goals.

An educational seminar, How To Start A Business, will be presented at the Norristown Library on March 13, 2010 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information, call (610) 277-4455 or email business consultant Ron Story at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The Norristown SBAC is located on the 3rd floor of the Montgomery County Cultural Center at 208 Dekalb Street. The Center is open Tuesday to Thursday from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m., and evening hours are available by appointment.

Thursday, February 25, 2010 — 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Huntingdon Valley Bank, 2617 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, will host the Chamber’s monthly Business Card Exchange. Networking, refreshments and door prizes. Complimentary for EMCCC members, $25 for prospective members. Call the chamber office for reservations at (215) 887-5122.

Thursday, March 4, 2010 — 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: The Chamber will present a Leadership Montgomery County Workshop, Survival Tactics in a Tough Economy, with featured speaker Cynthia Stengel Paris of The People Skills Group. Admission is $59 for Chamber members, $69 for non-members. The workshop will be held at the Willow Grove Community Center above the Giant Super Food Store, 315 York Road, Willow Grove. Advance registration is required. Register online at emccc.org or call the chamber office at (215) 887-5122.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 — 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Networking, door prizes, and great food at a Card Exchange hosted by Holiday Inn, 432 West Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington. RSVP at 215-643-3000 x235.

Friday, March 12, 2010 — Noon-1:30 p.m.: Social Media and Your Business — What is social media and how can I use it to grow my business? How do I integrate social media as a communication tool into my business? What are the benefits of using social media? What are some tips for social media success? Have these questions answered and more by featured panelists Craig Peters of BuxMont Digital and Jessica King of King Design, LLC. Sponsored by AT&T and hosted by Penn State Abington at The Lares Union Building, 1600 Woodland Road, Abington. Register online at emccc.org or call the chamber office at (215) 887-5122.