A few steps to bring your dead website back to life

Just because your website has been dormant for so long doesn’t mean that it can’t be revived and revamped. Reviving your old website can seem scary, so much so that some people freeze at the thought of having to sort out their “old online mess”. But it’s actually a totally manageable (and even fun) task. The secret is in getting yourself in the right state of mind and having a plan that you feel good about. The following steps will help you wrap your head around this project and ensure you’re on track.

Redefine Your Goal

Sometimes we start a project with a very different goal in mind, only to find a little bit later down the line that the goal is no longer relevant. Before you simply start rearranging and updating your site, take a moment to ask yourself what it is exactly that you want to get out of you website. Defining your website’s goal is key to getting the most out of it. Be honest with yourself and totally clear before moving forward – it’s an important step in the right direction.

Simplify

Less is still more, so don’t go into this as if you’re preparing for battle. Break everything down to the bare minimum – there’s no need for extra elements and pages. Make a checklist of all the important content items you need on your website. For example:

my business’s name & logo
a short (but sweet) ‘About’ section
services/products page
important contact details including: phone number, physical address, and email address

Brush Off the Notion of a “Perfect” Website

There is no such thing as one perfect anything for everyone. The same rule applies to websites – if you keep aiming for perfection, you’re aiming arm will get very tired and your website will never be finished. Today, many new business owners start out by first building and publishing the smallest viable website, making additions and updates as they go along.

Get Feedback

A pair of fresh eyes are often necessary in the website creation process. If you’ve been spending a good amount of time working on your site, it can be tough to see it objectively. Share your site with friends before it goes live.

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