Creating a compelling website might strengthen your customer relationships, but it pays to note that your online shopfront is a living, breathing thing. This means that nominating someone to oversee the content, establishing a publishing schedule and enforcing quality control should be high priorities. But it’s easy to neglect website governance once the excitement of launch subsides. Here’s a four-step guide to maintaining a powerful online presence.
Elect a website manager
It’s important that one person is accountable for coordinating the content and keeping the website up to date. Although your website content might be relevant to different departments, electing a manager to oversee website-related decisions and granting website access to a fixed number of staff members can maintain visibility and minimise conflicting information.
Adopt a consistent tone and voice
Website governance might foster accountability, but it’s also about ensuring your organisation’s consistent voice and tone. Get started with these three steps:
- Determine a voice and tone that suits your brand.
- Create a brief that puts this in writing.
- Ensure that your content experts and contributors to the website adhere to these guidelines.
Remember that maintaining consistency further demonstrates the credibility of your brand.
Embrace web writing conventions
It’s worth noting that offline content doesn’t often translate well online. Keeping website pages short, clear, and digestible is likelier to hold your audience’s interest than publishing reams of copy.
Establish a content schedule
If you’re a growing business, chances are that your services and offerings are often in flux. It’s critical that you communicate these changes clearly and transparently on your website. Developing a monthly content schedule that outlines dates for website updates or new pages can keep customers in the loop and help avoid internal confusion.
From nominating a website manager to establishing a content schedule, mastering the art of website governance can help you better communicate with your customers. It’s also bound to keep them coming back.