1. Run Your Site Through PageSpeed Insights
First thing's first - How is your website actually doing? Run your website through Google’s
PageSpeed Insights to see where you can improve. Your website’s speed, as well as some of the other parameters that Pagespeed insights checks for, can make or break the user experience. Even small improvements to speed can lead to better user engagement and higher rankings on Google. PageSpeed insights also checks Accessibility, SEO, and best practices and while it certainly doesn't look at everything, it will give you some of the glaring problems so that you can fix them right away. A faster site means happier visitors and potentially more customers whether you're in Boston or anywhere worldwide.
2. Make Sure You Have a Favicon
Have you noticed that little icon next to your website’s name on the browser tab? That’s your favicon! It’s a small detail, but it adds a professional touch and helps users quickly recognize your site. If you don’t have one, you will likely end up with the Wordpress or Squarespace icon (not your logo, so not representative of your biz). Take a minute to create one, Canva makes it easy (you can use a simple logo or your brand initials). It’s an easy fix that makes your website look more polished and official.
3. Check How Your Website Preview Looks on Social Media
When people share your website on social media (and they will!) you want it to look just right. Use
Facebook’s Sharing Debugger to see how your site looks when shared. If your image or logo looks off, you can update it through your website builder so that your posts look clean and inviting. It’s one of those little things that can make a big difference in how people perceive your site when they see it on their social feeds.
4. Update Your Google My Business Listing
If you have a physical location or serve a specific area like Boston,
Google My Business (GMB) is a must. It’s how local customers find you in Google Search and Maps. Make sure your address, phone number, and business hours are up to date. Plus, upload a few new photos to keep your listing fresh and engaging, and maybe add in an FAQ or an Update. A complete GMB profile (and one that you continue to keep updated!) boosts your visibility and builds trust with potential clients.
5. Create a Google Search Console Account
If you're struggling to understand how your website actually helped your business over the last year, don't let that happen to you again in 2025. Hook up the tools so that you have the data available (even if you don't have the time to look at it now!)
Google Search Console is a tool that shows you how your website is performing on Google, as well as how frequently they decide to show your website in search results. This account will also give you the opportunity to submit your website for indexing (a MUST if you haven't already), as well as resubmit that information anytime that you add or edit anything on your website. This helps Google understand your site and its content better, which can improve your rankings and search performance, but more importantly it helps YOU understand your site and its content better! The more you understand your site and how it's doing, the more thoughtful your changes and updates will be!
6. Set Up Google Analytics
Whether or not you think you will understand them, if you’re not tracking your website’s analytics, you’re missing out on valuable insights. Setting up
Google Analytics gives you access to data on how visitors are interacting with your site, where they’re coming from, and what pages they’re visiting. You’ll be able to track your progress and tweak your strategies throughout the year. Analytics is a free tool, and it can provide the clarity you need to grow your website in 2025.
7. Get a Privacy Policy on Your Site
Privacy policies are required by law when you are collecting any sort of information from site visitors in many cases, and they help build trust with your visitors. Your privacy policy should explain how you collect, store, and use customer data. It’s one of those necessary elements that adds credibility to your site and also helps protect your business, so while we know it sounds tedious don't skip this one. There are some great tools that will help you walk through making a policy, such as Termageddon or Termly, which offer incredibly affordable options to have policies that update according to all of the changing privacy laws in the states (psst... half a dozen states have new privacy policies going into effect in January 2025!)
8. Add an Accessibility Statement
Web accessibility is about ensuring everyone can use your site, including people with disabilities. In the USA, more than 1/4 of website users have some type of disability that requires additional accessibility on websites - This is a huge percentage of people to throw by the wayside if you don't demonstrate inclusivity. Additionally, the laws surrounding accessibility are only going to become more clarified coming into 2025, and being proactive is always better than being reactive! Adding an accessibility statement to your website is a great way to show your commitment to inclusivity. So, take a few minutes to express your intentions for the Accessibility of your website. Encourage users to reach out to you if they experience issues so that you can correct them. Bonus points if you add an overlay that helps automatically fill in the gaps in your websites current Accessibility for visitors.
9. Add New Testimonials
Testimonials are how people are able to immediately recognize if they can trust you and your business. If you’ve had positive experiences with customers, now’s the time to showcase them on your site. Add a few new testimonials to help potential customers feel more confident in your business. Social proof is powerful, and fresh testimonials add authenticity to your website (and remind Google that you're alive and well and receiving new 5 star reviews!)
10. Upload New Photos
Fresh, high-quality photos can make your website feel more engaging and relevant. Update your images by adding a couple of new ones that reflect your business, whether it’s photos of your products, a new project before & after, your team, or office space. In Boston, where many big box businesses can overshadow small local businesses in search, showing your personality through authentic, non-stock images can help visitors feel more connected to you.
11. Add a Couple of New FAQs
Answering common questions can make your website more helpful and reduce friction for visitors, and can also help your website show up better if users ask those questions in a search. If you haven’t updated your FAQ section in a while, now’s a great time to add a couple of new questions. Consider the questions your customers have been asking or any new services or products you’ve added. Feeling stumped on what to add? Ask ChatGPT what people are looking for online as it relates to your industry! An updated FAQ section adds valuable content for users and also can improve your website’s SEO.
12. Check How Your Site Looks on Mobile
In many industries around 50% (sometimes more, sometimes less) of users are checking out your website on their phone, so it’s crucial that your site looks great on mobile devices. Check your website on a few different devices to make sure everything looks and works properly. If things seem off, take the time to adjust. Sometimes certain widgets and layouts don't show up perfectly on a mobile device automatically. Adjust your font sizes so they fit better on a smaller device. Adjust your animations and your background images if they don't look quite right. A responsive mobile site is vital for keeping users happy and improving your SEO.
Whew! By now you have probably made it through the holidays and if you're anything like us you're ready to take on 2025 with full steam ahead! We hope The 12 Days of Website Updates turned getting your site ready for the New Year into some manageable bite-sized updates that allowed you to not feel the massive overwhelm that often accompanies the daunting task of updating your website! If this list made you close your laptop and go find the Christmas Cookies, don't worry - We're always here for a chat and a lot of business owners find that they simply don't want to be digging into website updates themselves. If that's your situation, reach out to us anytime to sip some eggnog and chat about your 2025 plans!
Wishing you the most wonderful Holiday Season and 2025! We love you all and can't wait to watch your businesses thrive in the New Year!
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Download ours here for FREE, our holiday gift to you <3
Love,
Allison
Owner, Website Designer
SimplicityDMS
