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All businesses should periodically be reviewing and updating their websites, as a general, good 'housekeeping' practice.
But before any big PR announcement or effort potentially drives more traffic your way, you should definitely take some time to assess your website’s current state—both in terms of content (copy) and underlying structure. This is especially recommended if you haven’t really looked at it in a while.
If you haven't launched yet, you are now in the ideal position to implement these changes. If you're an established business, and it's not possible or practical to make all of these changes before an upcoming scheduled announcement or PR push, some of them can absolutely be transformed into an aspirational "to do" list for future consideration. You can refine or reinvent yourself at any time.
Your website doesn’t necessarily need all of the latest bells and whistles, but it should be meeting a few basic needs for your business.
Is your site’s copy current?
Is there anything that needs to be changed, corrected or updated?
And don't forget to make sure the specific news you are preparing to announce, in the form of a press release or otherwise, will also appear on your website as soon as the announcement is live.
Does your site clearly and compellingly explain who you are and what you offer (what problem you solve, or what need you meet)?
Does your site contain all of the standard information that a customer, investor or reporter might be looking for, in order to get a complete and accurate picture of your business?
A few standard website sections for to consider including, as appropriate, are ABOUT, OUR FOUNDER/TEAM, LEADERSHIP, HISTORY, SERVICES, NEWS & INSIGHTS, EVENTS, RESOURCES, CONTACT US and, of course, if applicable, SHOP/ORDER ONLINE.
From a PR perspective, your site should also function as at least a basic press kit.
Whatever it is that you want your website visitor to do, have you made it easy for them to do so by prominently featuring your "call to action" (whether that’s "Shop" "Schedule an appointment" or "Register for this event" or other), so people don't have to search?
Of course, your site should also meet all relevant legal requirements, including those related to business regulations and licenses, intellectual property, privacy and consumer protection, ADA accessibility and, if you are an Ecommerce site, secure payment gateways and processing and taxes, among others. Don't wait on this one.
Some people use their website simply as an online business card—and that might be enough for you. But there are so many other ways your website could potentially be working for you. For example:
Consider, for example, incorporating a blog structure.
This publishing tool doesn’t need to only be a blog; it could serve as your catch all “News” tab, which you could use to post articles, announcements, and even things like embedded videos.
Once people start writing about you, or you start publishing articles externally, you can also link to that content here.
Both of these things help to optimize your site for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.
You might create a page that lists and links out to helpful resources. This could inspire people to come back to your site more often, and will also enhance SEO.
Consider offering some kind of freebie—e.g., an infographic or a helpful checklist—that people can download automatically, or that you can email to them, in exchange for their signing up to receive a newsletter. In this way, you can start to build up a valuable opt-in email marketing list that you control, and that won’t hold you hostage with algorithms like social media can.
If you have social media platforms, you should be linking to them on your website, and vice versa.
In conclusion, if your website needs a bit of spiffing up before a launch, or before a successful PR campaign thrusts it into the spotlight, taking even some of these steps—either on your own or by consulting website and/or content professionals—can help change that.
And if it's not possible or practical to make all of these changes before an upcoming scheduled announcement or PR push, some of them can absolutely be transformed into an aspirational "to do" list for future consideration. You can refine or reinvent yourself at any time.
This post is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to constitute legal advice. For specific advice on your own situation, please consult an attorney or other professional.