Episode 107: The Importance Of Site Design, Usability, & Frequent Monitoring Of Your Website

This week, Erika Godwin and I sat down to discuss all things relating to your website! I like to say that this is your 24/7 business card, so it is important that it's always in tip-top shape. Today we'll talk about site design, how to tell if your website needs an upgrade, why you should upgrade, how to upgrade, and more! Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss: Does My Website Need An Upgrade? There are quite a few tell-tale signs to figure out if your website needs an upgrade. Take a look at your website and then ask yourself the following questions: Is my website unresponsive? Is it mobile-friendly? Has my website been updated within the last few years? Does it look dated and old? Am I using low-quality photos? Do I use old SEO techniques (being sales-y vs. informative)? Does it have a frustrating user experience and is it difficult to navigate? Am I using out-of-date information and plugins (i.e. contact info, staff members, prices, services, etc.)? Do I use a free template? Am I doing ongoing daily/weekly monitoring and maintenance?   Why Should I Update My Website If I Have Enough Clients? At this point, you may have determined that your website needs an upgrade. Let's talk about why you should update your website, EVEN IF you have enough clients currently. One of the reasons is that you'll want to make a good first impression when a potential customer lands on your website. A good first impression can lead to increased conversions from organic and paid search traffic. Plus, you'll want to keep current with the constantly changing search algorithms to make sure your website comes up on the first page of Google. From a security side, an up to date website ensures your customer's data is kept securely AND ensures that your website itself is protected. Last but not least, a great website can really help you stand out from your competition!   How Can I Update My Website? When you're ready to refresh your website, there are a couple of key things you can do to get the ball rolling. The first thing is to make sure that all of your content is current. This means removing old employee data and updating them with your most current employee biographies and photos. Next, you'll want to replace any low-resolution photos with web-optimized high-quality images. Be sure that your phone number, hours of operation, policies, prices, email addresses, etc. are all current as well.   Why Do I Need Frequent Website Monitoring? So now that you learned why you should update your website and how you can do so, let's discuss why you need frequent website monitoring. The biggest reason first and foremost is security. You don't want to leave your website prone to virus, vulnerabilities, and threats. Frequent website monitoring also allows your website to undergo routine maintenance, as well as staying up to date on your tracking, analytics, and optimization of your content for SEO! But you shouldn't do all of this yourself as a busy business owner. Hiring someone to manage your site monthly prevents your website from becoming a one-time purchase that gets ignored. If you're not technical, hiring someone also gives you one less thing to worry about!   Share The Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 107 of Bella In Your Business. The next series of episodes are from a previously recorded live event training series that Erica Goodwin and I did together. The following is a past recording, but the information is just as juicy. I hope you enjoy it. Welcome to Bella In Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella's got your chute. Let's jump. Welcome to the Jump into Marketing Training with your hosts, Erica Goodwin from the Marketing Blog and me from Jump Consulting. Erica is the co-founder of Pet Pro Software, a kennel management software in the pet industry and a website professional. And Bella is a pet business consultant, speaker, and author who has been helping pet businesses since 2007. Each week, we'll take turns going over the airwaves, downloading the biggest secrets to grow your pet business. Today, we are going to tell you about the importance of design usability and frequent monitoring of your pet website. On Instagram, I want to say what's up to A Dog’s Life, Yanny, Midwood Pet Sitting, Debbie, and Happy Tales Pet Sitting. On Facebook, I want to say what's up to Asha, Rose, Chloe, Darcy, Sarah, Jennifer, Danielle, and Cheryl. Remember, this is also an interactive show, so go ahead and ask your questions. If we can get to them on air, we will. If we can’t, we’ll answer you personally when the show is over. This show is sponsored by Marketing Solutions Website and by Better Marketing with Bella. Erica: Marketing Solutions basically builds templates for pet sitters, dog walkers, and pet businesses. They’re not generic templates—they’re built specifically for the pet industry. You can purchase a template, send us your branding and content, and we customize it for you. We also offer web hosting, maintenance, and support services so you don’t have to worry about your website anymore. Bella: Every single one of my Better Marketing with Bella clients that have gotten her website has sent me a thank-you note for turning them on to Erica. So it’s definitely worth checking out. Go to marketing.co to find out more. The other sponsor is my program, Better Marketing with Bella. What is it? Fifteen lucky pet sitters every month get a video Facebook cover, two square videos, two unique blog posts, two emails, four to six branded graphics, two coaching calls, and four group Zoom coaching calls. You also get professional editorial photos every month. The only way to get in is to apply at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get into it. The reason why we’re all here—Erica, you are so knowledgeable about websites. How do we even know if our website needs an upgrade? Erica: There are tons of reasons. A lot of our clients’ websites were out of date or not secure. Some had completely separate mobile and desktop sites that weren’t even linked. Others had outdated information. That’s when I realized there was a void in the industry. One of the biggest signs your site needs an update is if it’s not responsive. If you grab the side of your browser and make it smaller, and the website doesn’t adjust, it’s not responsive. Google has moved to mobile-first indexing, so if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it will be penalized. Bella: Can you explain the difference between “mobile” and “responsive”? Erica: Responsive means your website adjusts automatically to different screen sizes—like iPads, phones, or monitors—using code. A separate “mobile” version is a completely different website, which can cause indexing problems. Responsive websites keep the same design and functionality across all devices. Bella: Got it. What about those who say, “My website’s fine. I don’t need an upgrade”? Erica: That’s like walking into a store that hasn’t been updated in ten years—it doesn’t inspire confidence. Even if you’re not trying to get new customers, an outdated site can cause issues like wrong pricing or poor security. Also, if you ever want to sell your business, a strong online presence increases its value. Bella: That makes sense. So what can we do to refresh our website? Erica: Start with security. Get an SSL certificate to make sure your site is encrypted. If your site isn’t secure, hackers can intercept client info submitted through forms. SSL scrambles the data so it’s unreadable if intercepted. Bella: That’s great advice. Okay, let’s talk about frequent website monitoring. I had a bad experience once—my website was hacked to sell Viagra because I kept updating plugins without knowing what I was doing. It broke something and made my site vulnerable. So now I always have someone who manages it for me. Erica: Exactly. Think of your website like a car—it needs regular maintenance. You have to update plugins, monitor for security threats, and keep backups. Updates fix vulnerabilities, and ignoring them can lead to hacks. You also need someone to monitor your keywords and traffic, so you can adjust your SEO strategy. Bella: So having someone manage your site is like having a moat around your castle—they keep it safe. Erica: Right. Plus, it saves time. If an employee leaves, you can just email your web person to remove them. They can also post blogs, check analytics, and update your contact info. Bella: That’s a big help, especially for pet sitters who don’t have time to mess with tech stuff. Erica: Exactly. You should also check your website every few weeks to make sure info, emails, and images are current. Pixelated or stretched photos look unprofessional—replace them with high-quality ones. And please, if your photo is on your site, take off your sunglasses! Bella: Yes! We’re selling trust and connection, not hiding behind shades. Erica: Also, check for grammar and spelling errors. They make your business look careless. Broken links are another red flag—fix or remove them. If your website was built years ago, make sure you’re not using outdated SEO tactics like keyword stuffing, which Google penalizes now. Bella: Great point. What about usability? Erica: The biggest thing is user experience. Make sure visitors can find what they’re looking for without clicking through endless menus. Have one clear call-to-action on your homepage—like “Book Now” or “Request a Consultation.” Keep your layout simple, use plenty of white space, and write scannable content.