How important are web site updates? At 14thC traffic drops anywhere from 20% to 40% on days new posts aren’t added. It’s been a week since the last post and I’m seeing it in the traffic logs and subscriptions to the feed.

What I see here is the value in adding fresh content regularly.

Fresh content does not have to be added daily but a web site is like most things - you get what you put into it. If you want traffic you have to have good reasons for people to show up. And then you have to have good reasons for them to come back and that is where updates are critical.

If your site is static then people are not likely to come back after they have been through it once. Why? Because they have seen everything there is to see or at least perceive they have. This can be really damaging to sales as most people need to visit a site 4-7 times before they are comfortable making a purchase.

So how often should you update? And how big does the update need to be?

I recommend updating your site at least every two weeks and no further apart than 6 weeks. This is often enough that it will show a trend of keeping the site cared for and fresh.

Updates do not need to be big. A simple blog post will do the trick. 300 words seems to work best though if you are a brilliant writer you can probably make it count in less. There are other ways to update your site as well including:

• Site Redesigns
• Add Articles
• Add Tools
• Update Articles or Tools
• Add a press release
• Offer a free download or special report

The type of update doesn’t seem to matter as long as you get the message across that the site is cared for and fresh. You want people to remember the site as a positive experience. And you want them to wonder what is coming next!

By the way, one of the reasons I haven’t been posting much is because I have been working on a major site update. You can see the preview here!

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