What your website might be saying without you realising
I visited an ELT website this week. It was really nice: attractive images, good words, useful FAQs. But there was a problem. A fairly big one. The main CTA for the teacher training course on offer was:
Register now for May 2023.
At the time of writing we are in March 2026.
Conclusion? The website hasn’t been updated for a while. No blame, no shame. This is a fairly common issue, but that doesn’t make it less serious.
Why are so many websites out of date?
There are a whole host of reasons why businesses don’t update their websites. Which one matches your reality?
Writing about your business takes time. And time is tight when you are running a solo business.
You might not be sure what to say, which words to use. Is the page too long (probably)? Too short (rarely)?
Your business has changed in some way. A new offer. A change of focus. A pivot from group classes to individual sessions.
You’ve started a rewrite and have draft versions of a new sales page – saved on the cloud. It’s not quite right.
You have ‘update my website’ on your to-do list but you just keep putting it off. So many other tasks to do.
There’s no doubt that writing about your business is hard work. It takes clarity, energy and time. But not updating your copy has a cost too.
The costs of leaving your copy untouched
There are technical reasons for ensuring your website is up to date. Think SEO, functionality and security, but the focus here is CONTENT. Keeping your copy fresh is good for website visitors. Adding new pages and blog posts might lead to more traffic.
However, without some regular attention, dated content can:
Make your website look outdated or imply your business has closed down.
Indicate a misalignment between you, your business and your messaging.
Prompt clients to lose confidence. Is this person real? Can they really help me?
Have a financial cost. How much does your domain and website cost you annually? Even budget-friendly options add up.
Lose you money. That website visitor who bounces away could be your next big client. Can you afford to miss the opportunity for a conversation?
Impact your confidence. Have you ever felt slightly uncomfortable sharing your website URL? ‘I’m updating my site right now...’
The arguments for updating your copy are clear. But when is right time to do it? I wrote about some tell-tale signs and quick fixes in an earlier blog post: When to revamp your website copy.
Why rewriting gets stuck
Before you rush off to start, a word of advice. Rewriting a website is a big task. One that quickly gets overwhelming if you jump into it. Once you feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to get stuck and move on to something else.
The good news is that with a bit of planning, a website rewrite can be completed in stages. Bit by bit, page by page.
Educators and language coaches have an advantage here. You are really good at planning. You do it all the time. Academic programmes, syllabus and contents, individual lessons and more. I’ve written about these planning skills in this post: Make your website rewrite happen. Plan like a teacher.
It’s just not a priority right now
I hear this often from educators with older websites. Understandably, their clients are their focus. Websites, marketing, finding a life-work balance are way down their to-do lists. Writing about business can come later they say.
I get it.
But I don’t agree.
The writing we avoid is often the writing our business needs most. If you’ve taken the time to create a website and invested time and money to get it up and running, then looking after it, keeping your content updated, should be a priority. Otherwise, you could be missing out on those website visitors, those potential clients.
Thirty minutes a week
If time is limited, try blocking a weekly slot in your calendar for your website. Even half an hour every week will help. Use this time for simple tasks, for example:
Read one page on your site to ensure it’s up to date.
Check the details like prices and dates, buttons and links.
Review your FAQs. These are full of information that can date.
Take time to look over blog posts and their CTAs. It’s easy to miss these.
You will feel a sense of progress after a couple of weeks. Guaranteed.
Register now for May 2023
If that’s your main Call to Action on your website, something is amiss. And it could be costing you. Website visitors who bounce away. Potential clients who wonder if you’re closed. The time and money you have invested in your website. Your confidence.
Don’t let your out-of-date website get you down. If a full rewrite doesn’t fit your plans, take small steps to review your content regularly. Start with the dates!
