Featured in BPN Magazine: Website Tips from Marketing Experts
BPN Magazine recently featured our sister company, Consumer Focus™ Marketing. Check out this article to get expert insight into your propane company website’s security and critical updates. You’ll also find tips on keeping your website fresh and easy for customer use.
Critical Website Updates for Propane Marketers Going into the Busy Season
When was the last time your company redesigned its website? Do you know if updates have occurred since? Getting a new website can be a big undertaking for our industry’s business owners, so it’s vital to prevent your shiny new website from losing its luster.
Check out these important tips to guarantee that your website is up to internet standards, offers an excellent customer experience, and enjoys protection from breakdowns and cyberattacks.
Immediate Concerns for an Older Website
Cybersecurity, software compatibility, and core programming should most concern you if your website is on the older side. Cyberattacks are more common than ever and target all types of industries.
To protect both your business data and your customers’ private information, you must keep your company’s website up-to-date with current cybersecurity standards.
For websites built with WordPress or similar platforms, various plugins and development software can play a huge part in how your website works for you and your customers.
These third-party features always improve and update, which means you must keep your website updated to stay compatible. Leaving your company’s website untouched for years can result in core function loss from incompatibility with new updates and software.
Last–but certainly not least–core programming is your website’s basic structure, determining how it functions. Core programming can become obsolete if not updated every few years, thus causing website breakdowns. Also, don’t forget that customers will find an older, outdated website significantly harder to use and will look outdated by current standards.
What Not to Skip for Relatively Current Websites
Older websites often require immediate attention–but what about websites on the spectrum between not-quite-old and not-quite-new? You should always think ahead about your website’s functionality and security.
Customer experience always tops the list. How consumers search for services and purchase products is ever-changing in the digital age. It’s always a good idea to update your website so that it is intuitive and easy to use.
There are many ways to enhance your website to give new visitors and existing customers the best possible experience–whether this means adding an online ordering feature, switching your print forms to a simple and easy-to-use digital version, or building a customer resource center to answer frequently asked questions and help with troubleshooting.
Speaking of new website visitors–do you know how online users are finding your company’s website? Your company’s long-term online success critically relies on keeping your website on track with up-to-date search engine optimization (SEO) standards. This ensures you are one of the first options available to potential new customers searching for relevant terms.
Some of the SEO basics every website should maintain include using the right keywords in your web copy, making sure your website’s metadata follows current trends, and maintaining internal linking between pages. You can research even more advanced SEO tools that will help your company show up in your service area’s search results.
Click here to read the full article, originally published in BPN Magazine’s September 2021 issue,
Consumer Focus™ Marketing is a marketing company specializing in the propane industry. With almost 20 years of industry experience, they understand the business dynamics of propane marketers, including methods for reaching residential and commercial consumers with communications. Their expertise encompasses providing campaigns to facilitate customer retention, expansion of gallons sold, and equipment sales.