Digital clutter is as mentally draining as physical clutter, so it is just as important to have a regular clean out of anything virtual that no longer serves you.
When Alpha Agency works with clients, often one of our key tasks is an audit. These can take various forms but, ultimately, we use our outside perspective to take an impersonal assessment of a client's content, messaging, website etc etc.
As a third party, we are unburdened by sentimentality and can see the forest for the trees.
Below, we share four spring cleaning tips to help you get ship shape and Bristol fashion for the year ahead.
Digital detox
Think about how frequently – or infrequently – you visit your company’s website. Generally speaking, you will know what you are looking for and where to find it.
- Open webpage, click, click and voila
But what about first-time visitors? Is your website easy to navigate? Are the journeys well signposted? Just because it is obvious to you, does not mean it is clear to everyone.
Spring cleaning tip #1: give someone from outside your company (ideally a person who is not hugely tech savvy) some tasks to complete.
For example:
- Sign up for our email newsletter
- Find our sales team’s contact information
- Download a specific brochure
Their experience will be a better reflection of client user journeys and they will identify issues that could be causing unnecessary friction.
Take onboard their feedback and create a priority list of fixes. You can work with developers to improve the user experience, which will encourage people to stay on your website.
Extra tip: it's also worth noting that there are new regulations regarding website accessibility coming into force in the UK this year. Would your site pass inspection?
Out of date
People visit your website to find out more about your company and, ideally, how to contact you. Often, users want some reassurance you are legitimate, do what you claim and can be trusted.
Spring cleaning tip #2: make sure that the people featured on your website still work at your company. It’s no good telling clients to contact John Smith if he has left.
This is also relevant if your website features candid images of employees. It's best not to include a photo of Sally if she, too, has moved on to another opportunity.
Its purpose has been served
Some campaigns are designed to live in perpetuity, while others feature events that exist for a finite period of time. For example, a fund celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Once that year has come and gone, it’s best to remove any banners or explicit references.
Spring cleaning tip #3: old and outdated content/copy on a website indicates to visitors a lack of care and attention. Review webpage copy at minimum once per year and make sure dates, data points and references are relevant and up to date.
Content clean-up
Much like with campaigns, not all content is designed to last for a long time. A prime example of this is yearly outlooks.
Countless firms will have written something about their predictions for 2025, referencing key events and highlighting potential pitfalls. These articles are insightful and helpful but tend to have little relevance by the end of Q1.
There is likely one for every year and their fate is to linger in obscurity because, frankly, who cares about your company’s predictions for 2024 when we are in 2025?
Spring cleaning tip #4: reuse and recycle where possible. Headlines, standfirsts and opening paragraphs are not chiselled in stone. They can be changed*.
If your headline reads ‘Our predictions for 2024’, amend it to highlight a key or surprising event. For example:
[Headline] Exciting elections and interest rate falls
[Standfirst] What we expected in 2024 vs what actually happened
The bulk of the existing article remains exactly as it was written, with added detail about whether each expected event came to pass and what else transpired. This gives it greater longevity.
*The URL should remain the same, however, so as not to lose any analytics.
Breathing new life into your marketing
Much like your annual spring clean at home, a lot more mess will be created before a serene and tidy environment appears. But once it's finished, you may just find yourself feeling refreshed and more clear headed.
Clutter is distracting and it only ever compounds. Mess attracts mess, we know this. But an annual clean out will make you more mindful of what is being created and how your company comes across to clients and prospects.
If you are interested in finding out how an Alpha Agency audit could help your marketing efforts, please don't hesitate to get in touch.