Five Golden Nuggets of Site Boosting Advice

There isn’t a website in the world today that can be left to its own devices for years on end and not end up stagnating or rotting – that’s just not how the web works. Updating is everything and if it becomes apparent to your audience that you’re sitting idly by and allowing your rivals to outshine you, they won’t remain loyal to you for very long at all. Instead, you need to be making constant and concerted efforts to show your audience that you’re dedicated to delivering the very best overall site experience and won’t settle for second-place.Sounds like a lot of hard work, right?   It can be, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be as there are plenty of ways and means by which your site’s overall prowess can be boosted without having to take it back to the drawing board. Even if you’re something of an amateur with less than a lifetime’s experience in website design, you can still refresh and revitalize your site from time to time with no need for outside help.Diversify ContentFor example, one of the best ways of getting out of something of a creative rut when it comes to the content of your site is to go completely beyond your usual boundaries and try something new. If your site usually relies on nothing but words and images, it might be time to slip a video into the mix and see how it works. Or if you write hard-hitting academic pieces, try throwing in a light-hearted editorial or opinion piece. The contrast alone usually makes a world of difference and is guaranteed to be noticed.Be Inspired, Not EnviousGo take a look at your rivals that are doing what you do a hell of a lot better than you, but look from a different perspective. Instead of just ending up jealous and bitter, try instead to make a list of what it is that makes them successful, what impresses you about them (be honest!) and where they’re excelling in your efforts. And voila – you have a blueprint of changes to make!Get PersonalIf you haven’t already done so, it’s crucially important for your site to have a section somewhere that’s filled with you own personal comments, thoughts, experiences and musings. If you speak to your audience from a brand perspective, you sound like a talking logo. If on the other hand you get personal, you become a trustworthy human being.Get Out and AboutOn a slightly different angle, another good way to stave off stagnation is to look through your work and find a specific piece or entry that you’re either proud of or worked very well. Then, republish it on your site…not trying to pass it off as new…and try your hand at promoting it externally via blogs, forums, message boards, social media and so on – you might just win over a fair few newcomers.Trial and ErrorLast up, have a play with your site’s appearance, content and functionality with something of a trial and error approach. Make a few tweaks to things like colours, text layout, navigation bars and the like to see what kind of effect it has on your traffic and conversion rates. Random approaches to web design are never advisable, but in this case a few relatively minor tweaks can’t do much harm but could easily do the world of good.