Making website amends can be a time-consuming and daunting task. But there are quick and easy things that everyone can do. With the right tips and resources, it can be done in no time. Happily, I’m here to help you do just that! Whether you want to refresh your demos, add a new testimonial or improve your SEO, these quick and easy tips will help you get the job done.
What are the advantages to updating your website?
It keeps your site content fresh
No one likes an out of date website – search engines included. So keeping your content up to date helps SEO and keeps your clients happy too!
It improves user experience
Ever clicked on a website link to find that it doesn’t go anywhere? Have you tried to send an email to the address given on a site only to find it bounces back with a ‘cannot be sent’ error? Maybe you’ve been on someone’s website and want to connect on LinkedIn or follow them on social media only to find that the link goes nowhere.
A quick bit of checking your links work, the contact form sends (and arrives in your inbox) and that might make the difference between getting or losing a booking.
Small regular updates are more likely to become habit
Getting into the habit of doing quick, regular checks to your website will mean you are far more likely to do them in the first place! And you are much more likely to keep your whole website looking sparkly and fresh when it’s not a full day’s worth of tasks.
It helps sell you and your services!
Old demos, out of date photos, broken links, incorrect information all make for a poor user experience. With so much competition out there, the need to make the very best first impression is vital. A few checks across your website regularly can and will help you get more work.
Top tips to get started with your website updates
I know what you’re thinking… “Where on earth do I start with this new to-do list?!”
I hear you. We all (I’m sure) have to-do lists that feel like a never-ending and ever-growing monster. Don’t Panic! I’m here to help. The handy thing about this list is they are bite-sized. Quick and simple ways to update your website that you can use again and again.
Remember – you don’t need to do them all in a single day!
If you have a planner, add 1 or 2 to do each week. Or do 1 a day for 36 day’s and you’re through the full list.
Quick and simple tasks to keep your website up to date
1. Check your phone number is correct
If someone can’t contact you, you might lose out on that last minute booking!
2. Check your email address
Check that it is correct. Check that it links and opens in your email.
AND send a test email (from another email account) to check that your email is working too.
3. Check your contact form works
This is worth testing on desktop and mobile. Fill in the form, hit send. Does it work? Did you get the contact form in your email?
4. Make sure your demos are current
Demos are incredibly important on a voiceover website, so make sure they are up to date and helping you sound fabulous.
5. Can you play each of your demos?
Can you play each demo? Listen to them in full to check there are no nasty upload glitches.
6. Can you download each of your demos?
Make sure each demo has a download option. Download it to your computer. Is the file name good? (see the next point).
7. What is your demo file name when it has downloaded?
Is the file name something a client will find you again with? Does it describe what the demo is and include your full name? A great demo file name is short, and to the point – it will look something like helen-bee-corporate-demo.mp3
TOP TIP – don’t use capital letters, numbers or special characters in file names (demos and images). This helps SEO!
8. Check your website for broken links
Make sure your website doesn’t have any irritating dead links. This is especially useful if you write blogs or have podcast shownotes on your website. Deadlinks are also bad for SEO. I check our site every few months and almost always find something. I mentioned this tool in my Tips and Useful Resources blog, but this is where to check your website for broken links.
9. Update your profile picture
Got an old, or poor-quality photo? A quick update with a new photo and your website can look brand new!
10. Check your website works on mobile and tablets
It’s always a good idea to look at your own website on desktop, tablet and mobile. Check each page. Make sure demos all play. Check every link works. Make sure you can use the menu. Check if anything doesn’t show, falls off the page or vanishes altogether!
11. Check all content is up to date
Old content makes for a poor first impression. Make sure all the content on every page is current and still relevant.
12. Update your testimonials
Got some great feedback from a client? Stick it on your website! Short quotes work well dotted across your website. If it’s a longer testimonial – could you make it into a case study or add a sample of the project the feedback is from and put this near your demos?
13. Ask for feedback
It’s easy to go a bit blind to our own website content. What we don’t notice, may scream out to someone who’s never seen your site before. Ask a friend to look at your website and give you some feedback. You could even ask me to review your website!
14. Is it obvious what you do?
Make sure – from the very first second someone lands on your home page – that it is really obvious what you do.
15. What are your voiceover specialisms?
If you’re an audiobook narrator – tell people. Great at medical e-learning? Make it clear.
The more specific you are about what you do the better it helps visitors to your website. It’s also super important for SEO too!
16. Is it easy to know where you are based?
Which country? What county or state? Which city or town? People work globally, yes, but adding where you are in the world helps people know about time zones and any potential payment/working issues. You don’t want to get a huge job enquiry only to find out you can’t work as they’re 12 hours ahead, or can’t get paid! And some businesses will want to work with other local suppliers so tell people where you are!
17. Where are you willing to travel to voice?
Don’t presume anyone knows the answer to this. If you’re willing and able to travel to other studios, tell people. A simple line on your contact or about page is all that is needed.
18. Can and how does your studio connect to other studios?
Helpful for people looking to work with you – especially if they’re looking for someone to voice in a live direct session, but also great for SEO. List the ways your studio can connect to others.
19. Add some call to action buttons
You can never have enough call to action buttons. Ok, you can, but I guarantee you need more than you think you do. What are they? Simply buttons and links that guide your customers around your website. Common ones to use are ‘contact me’, ‘listen to my demos’, ‘see examples of my work’ – you get the idea. Ideally have one after every paragraph or section on your website.
20. Backup your website
I’ve seen this happen – more than once. Something happens out of your control – crazy tech language that few understand – but the result is simple. Your whole website – every last image and word – is lost forever and you have to start rebuilding from scratch your site because you didn’t have a website backup. It’s horrible. So set up your backup. Store it remotely (away from your website). I use WPVivid for my WordPress sites. WIX only offers site duplication and Squarespace suggests duplicating your site which I think is very poor service from them.
21. Update your website plug-ins
More for WordPress users, but outdated plug-ins can cause security issues and – at worse – completely break your website. Keep them updated (at least once per month).
22. Add Alt text to your images
This one is for SEO and accessibility. And – trust me – it’s much better to do every time you upload an image, rather than going through them all in 1 go.
23. Add headings and intro paragraphs to your videos
Don’t just have a never-ending blog with YouTube videos. Give a subheading and an introduction so people know what you are asking them to watch. Say what you did, who the client was and what genre of VO work it is. It helps clients navigate your portfolios and is also helpful for SEO.
24. Do you have a Privacy Policy?
It doesn’t matter where in the world you are based, having a Privacy Policy is good practice (in some countries it’s a requirement). Prove to your potential clients that you’re a legitimate business owner and get one. It’s great for your brand and website. I’ve written some Privacy Policy guidance here.
25. Add a browser bar favicon
You know the tiny little picture in the browser bar? You can add a favicon own logo icon (or photo if you don’t have a logo). It looks loads more professional with an image, so get one added!
- WordPress – add an icon via the ‘appearance > customise’ menu
- Add a favicon with WIX
- Add a favicon with Squarespace
26. Check you have an SSL certificate
It’s the little lock symbol in the browser bar. Every website should have one. It helps keep sites safe, but also sites without one are less likely to show up in search results. Any decent domain provider will include one, but you may need to activate it. If you’re not sure, ask your domain provider.
27. Add a website footer
These are very underused, but really helpful places to add links to pages, your contact details and social links. Every web builder will have the option to add a footer, so get one added. Not sure what I’m on about? Scroll to the very bottom of this blog and you’ll see ours.
28. Check your social profile links
Do your social profile links on your website work? Or do they send you off somewhere else? A quick check and you might gain a few new followers.
29. Update your about page
If you don’t have an about page, you should at least have an about section. People are very unlikely to hire you if they don’t know anything about you. So tell them. But make it interesting and relevant. Talk about your voice skills and experience – no one needs to know your school exam results.
30. Link to your IMDB or Spotlight profiles
If you have IMDB or Spotlight profiles – link to them from your website. About pages are a great place to add them. If you have pages or sections dedicated to your acting – add your IMDB link here. It’s a great way to showcase your past work.
31. Set up a Google Business Profile
I’ll keep mentioning this one over and over and over. If you haven’t yet got one, do it! They’re a super duper boost for your SEO and online visibility. Here’s how to set up your Google Business Profile.
32. Set up Google Search Console
Do you want to know how people find your website? You can with this handy free tool. It’s also a great way to tell search engines that your site exists in the first place. So go now and set is up – head to the 2nd point for my how to set up Google Search Console guide.
33. Get bots to crawl your website
Once you’ve set up Search Console, you can ask the internet spiders to crawl your website. It helps SEO and online visibility so it’s very much worth your time doing it. See my how-to ask Google to Crawl your website guide.
34. Add your services to your Google Business Profile
Once you have your profile set up, you can add ‘products’ (services to you and me). This is a great way to showcase your work and skills to the internet. Here’s how to add products to your Google profile.
35. Check out your competitors
It’s really important to know what your competitors are up to and how they are marketing their services to your potential clients. How else will you know how to stand out from everyone else offering similar services? Make notes of what they do well (or not so well) and see how you can make your website stand out. But DO NOT STEAL and DON’T COPY – it’s not nice and you’ll get penalised in SEO too.
36. Get inspiration outside the voiceover world
What other websites and brands do you love? Get ideas on how they show up online and in their marketing. Is there anything you can take inspiration from?
Start updating your website now!
So there you have it. 36 ways to quickly update your website that will all help get your website found online, help clients find what they are looking for, showcase your work and show off your skills.
Feeling stuck or overwhelmed?
If you want some personalised support and advice on how to improve your existing website and SEO so you can feel proud of your website I offer Website Reviews. You’ll get a detailed report, 90 minute 1-2-1 session and ongoing lifetime free support in my client-only group. Or, you can pass me your to-do list and I’ll get things updated for you with my VIP Days. Any questions? Get in touch.