Knowing When to Fine Tune and When to Re-start
It can make all the difference. Sometimes you will have a page that is fundamentally fine, it just needs some tweaks to bring it right up to pace. On other occasions it is so badly flawed that you’re better off just ripping it up and starting again.
Unfortunately there is no exacting standard for each. Knowing when to fine tune your website’s page and when to start afresh is a personal call, one that needs to be made correctly too.
So let’s start with the most obvious issue, content. If your page has old, tired content that just isn’t doing anything for your rankings or your visitors, rip it down. Don’t look twice at it, get a fresh sheet, know what you want to say and make sure you do so.
By trying to rework, remodel and rehash your old copy, you become too focussed on cramming in new keywords and tidying up ugly sentences that you miss the fact that the whole thing is listless. When you start from scratch you have the opportunity to take your copy in an entirely new direction. You can add tempo, include a call to action and develop a natural tone to really compliment your message.
When you choose to edit you can become bogged down. You spend too long trying to fix the irreparable and end up with something that is barely any different. By starting afresh, you have opportunities aplenty.
But what if you do have good rankings but perhaps aren’t happy with the tone or can’t seem to get customers to convert? Well, in this instance you might want to be a bit safer. Rather than blundering in and deleting the lot, try to lift the copy. Keep the bulk the same, so as not to affect the keywords, but mix up everything else.
For example you could include headers, bullet points and a clear call to action. None of these will impact your current rating, but could help your visitors better understand what you’re trying to say.
How about other on page factors? Well, in terms of design, that will always be a personal choice. If you feel that it has become dated and is perhaps undermining your otherwise good content, then it might be time for a change. If it is reasonable but could do with an injection of life, just make some small tweaks that will bring you right up to date.
Full site overhauls aren’t cheap and might confuse long-standing customers, so they aren’t always the preferred choice. But when you are in need of something to really kick your site back into gear, they can certainly do the trick.
Linking structure is too important to start meddling with too much. You need to be even handed with it, that is unless your current infrastructure is illogical or flawed. Perhaps see if you can add some new sections to create more effective landing pages or remove those that are now defunct. Major changes can cause major problems if not done right, so always plan it out thoroughly before making any significant changes.
Ultimately your content is one of the most important parts of your website, so this is where the real decision should lie. If you are confident in what you have currently and see only the need for minor changes, don’t be afraid to make them. Likewise, if the copy hasn’t worked and you’re looking for a bit of a new direction, delete and start over. You won’t be influenced by content that has failed and you won’t end up falling into the same traps all over again.
