Months. Days. Hours. Agony. Your website is FINALLY live!

Once it is online, our website becomes an obsession. We try to set up the perfect layout, find the best pictures, write beautiful descriptions, and make sure every link is live. Whether you do it yourself or outsource the task, there is the inevitable back and forth of trying to pull everything together and perfect it.

But, have you touched it since then?

Now that you have it, website maintenance should be added as a recurring task because it is a vital part of your marketing strategy. Make sure...

• Basic info is up to date. Don’t forget to update your website with pertinent information as it changes. While this likely doesn’t happen often, any changes to contact info are imperative to keep updated. Also, if you have a “staff” section, make sure to keep it current with employees, contact info, and important info, such as titles, awards, and pictures.

• To link your social media profiles. Unless someone directly visits your website or finds you on a Google search, people are likely to connect with you through social media. Make sure your website is readily available on your Facebook page or Twitter profile. Similarly, be sure to include social media buttons in the header or footer of your website so that people can readily connect to you across multiple formats.

• The content is relevant (and current). If you have a blog, your website is a great place to showcase it. Also, keep up with employee, business, or industry wide awards, achievements, or important news. As opposed to a Facebook or Twitter post, your website gives you an opportunity to provide more detailed information to the masses.

• To change it up! While you may love your website’s cover photo, it may be time to spice things up a bit. Not only will it keep things interesting, but certain changes may warrant resharing or calling attention to your page.

• To include it in your marketing strategy. Link to your page with social media posts or include a landing page for visitors to sign up for your newsletter.

While it may not be obvious how to use your website, make an effort to incorporate your website into your marketing strategy. After all, you’ve invested a lot of time, energy, and financial resources into creating it – don’t let it go to waste!